The Irresistible Force Paradox
by CJFAA
Summary: Elena Lincoln has had a hold on Christian Grey for over a decade and isn't about to let him go, except Anastasia Steele can be just as manipulative and calculating. It's time for Christian to make a choice. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

"Have you ever heard of the irresistible force paradox? If you haven't then maybe you've heard this question. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? The answer is supposed to be nothing, but this paradox is flawed. An unstoppable force can move an immovable object because said object cannot stop the force. For me, that force was Anastasia Rose Steele, and this chapter of my life began nine months ago New Year's Eve 2011."

* * *

Sad, pathetic and downright lonely were few of the words he could come up with to describe his current mood. He was sitting in the office of one of his many ventures; a club in New York watching people have fun via the many cameras that monitored the club. Elliot, who had accompanied him, was out there in the many bodies having the time of his life. New Year's Eve has never being a date of any significance to him. If he had a sub, they request the time off to spend it with friends and loved ones while he sat in that ivory tower making more money he didn't need. He watched Elliot surrounded by various women as he regaled them with some story that was most likely full of lies. He had to admit that in recent months he had become somewhat jealous of his brother's life, not the constant whoring but his carefree nature, his ability to engaged with complete strangers.

He hadn't had a sub in nearly a year, and he didn't want one. He'd become bored of the lifestyle and in desperate need of change, except he didn't know how to change. He had the playroom ripped out a few weeks ago, thinking a change of décor would motivate him and yet the room laid empty as he couldn't seem to make his mind up as to what he wanted. Elena had being on his case about a sub sending him file after file of subs available to him. None had remotely peaked his interest; in fact, no woman had stirred a molecule. He'd never thought he would come to a point in his life where being a Dom would no longer do it for him. His sole focus had been GEH and nothing else. He needed something in his life other than work or he feared that will soon… he did not want to even think about a time GEH would bore him senseless.

As his eyes drifted from one screen to another, he stops when he catches a brunette and a blond stepping out of a cab. They stood on the curb talking and laughing, and he found himself struck with the brunette, she had on a leather jacket and skin-tight white jeans and ankle length boots, her legs went on forever. He was about to instruct the bouncer to let them in when they walked up to him, and he lets them in without question much to the irritation of a few in the queue. It was a freezing cold New Years Eve night, and obviously, no one wanted to spend it freezing in a queue.

He was glued to the screen watching her in the VIP area as she sipped a glass of champagne. At some point, she and her friend graced the dance floor before returning to their seats. He saw the moment Elliot caught the attention of the blond; he escorted her to the dance floor. He saw some asshole make his way over to the brunette with a drink in hand, and he bolted out of the office.

He needn't had bothered the brunette was nowhere to be found by the time he got to the VIP area. "Where is the brunette?" He damn near barked at the fool with the drink still in his hand.

"She left." He answered in a huff.

That part was obvious." Christian growled. "In which direction?" he asked with barely controlled annoyance. The fool just pointed to the entrance as he backed away. Christian made his way out pushing the mass of bodies out of his way.

* * *

"Ana, where are you going?" Kate asked out of breath running to catch up. "It's not midnight. Hell, it's not even eleven." She huffed.

"Have you ever stopped to wonder why it takes such an effort on your part before I'd agree to go anywhere with you when all José has to do is ask?"

"Why?" She asked with an eye roll. Frankly this was just a waste of time. Time she could be spending with that hot blonde making sure his night ended with her. She couldn't think of a better way to ring in the New Year.

"I start and end my night with José more often than not." The vitriolic nature in which that short sentence was delivered caught Kate off guard. "You spend hours convincing me to come out with you and every night you soon find some pretty face you could care less about as long as he is capable of satisfying this insatiable need you have to fuck. "Is your long-term memory that short that you have already forgotten what happened the last time you chose to pay more attention to another pretty face instead of the girl you call your best friend? Everything with a pulse hits on Jose, and yet you don't see him abandoning his friends for a quick fuck." Ana turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving a shamed-faced Kate in her wake.

"Hey, there you are?" Elliot crooned. He had stepped out of the club ready to leave with another blond but quickly abandoned that thought when he realized Kate was standing in the distance talking to the brunette.

"Sorry, I have to get back to the hotel." Kate had said a little dazed.

"I will come with you." Elliot purred taking a step closer.

"No thank you," Kate muttered as she also turned to leave. He was so thrown by the rejection he missed a distraught Christian running past him.

Despite the standstill traffic, Kate thought it best to grab a cab. She needed to get her thoughts in order. How could she have so quickly forgotten what had happened the last time she went out with Ana. They had earlier in the day written the last exam either of them would every take and Kate, as usual, had spent hours convincing Ana to come out, and now the reason was clear. Within half an hour of arriving she was distracted by yet another pretty face, because in all fairness that was all he was. She was distracted enough for someone to drug Ana's drink. The drink was laced with too much MDMA, enough to put Ana in the hospital for the better part of a month. The worse part was she didn't know it had happened until José stormed into her bedroom with little regard for her or her company and tore her a new asshole. Ana had walked out because she wasn't feeling well and had collapsed. Jose arrived just in time to help, on the ride home Ana started seizing and he took her to the hospital. This was the first time the two of them had been back out since that horrible night in May, and there she was back at it like nothing had happened.

Christian finally caught up with her as she turned into an alley and entered a club he didn't recognize. There wasn't a queue, and he quickly realized why. It was a members-only club, and he wasn't a member. How in god's name was this dump a members only club? Nonetheless, he bribed the doorman who let him in. Well, well, well, you certainly shouldn't judge this book by its cover. The interior walls were draped in dark purple velvet curtains. Booths covered in plush leather-lined the walls. He walked to the far end of the bar and ordered a glass of the fifty-year-old Balvenie single malt scotch before walking over to her.

"Can I join you?" He asked though he was already in her personal space, as he needed to lean close to enable her to hear him. There was a fair amount of bodies in the place, especially on the dance floor. This was a place for people like him, expensive and hidden away with good drinks and good music.

"Why not." She says averting her gaze.

"I'm Christian." he introduces.

"Ana." She responds giving him the once over.

"Nice to meet you, Ana." He says doing likewise earning a smirk from her.

"Would you like to dance?" She nods standing. He knocks back his drink before escorting her to the dance floor, and for a moment watches as she swings her hips seductively.

They keep a respectable distance between them, and he finds himself wishing for a slow song so he could hold her in his arms.

Ana found Christian incredibly attractive and a man she deemed worthy of her time. Kate had never understood why she refused to date in college. Between her college workload and working at her father's company, she had little time to waste on frat boys who most likely couldn't work out the female anatomy if you drew it for them. Kate complained enough about their lack of sexual skill, and yet it didn't stop her from... for lack of a better word... indulging. She, on the other hand, was prepared to remain a virgin until someone she at least found attractive came along. Now if Christian could hold down a decent conversation and didn't panic when she revealed she was a virgin she might just lose her virginity tonight. She didn't live in New York, and he probably didn't either. Without giving any real information about herself, she will most likely never see him again. Strangely that thought didn't bother her. Carla's believe in the fairy tale romance had led to an unfortunate end something she didn't intend on repeating. The fact that she had held onto her virginity didn't mean she was waiting for her prince in shining armor.

When she turns around still swinging those hips, Christian throws caution to the wind and moves his body flush against hers. She leans back into him relaxing against his body. They stay on the dance floor longer than he expected, and he finds himself enjoying every second of it especially now that she had her arms wrapped around his neck and his arms around her waist. At this point he wouldn't call what they were doing dancing, he feels every inch of her against his body, they are grinding against each other. His cock is beating against his zipper itching to get out. He looks down at her and the temptation to kiss a girl he didn't know was becoming unbearable. "Can I kiss you?" He'd never kissed a girl without an NDA, but right now he didn't give a fuck.

"Yes." She breathes. He leans down taking her lips into his mouth in a gentle kiss… well, that was the idea but the moment he feels her lips on his, he loses all control and damn near devours her. Clearly, she wants him just as much as she matches him in passion and hunger. She moans into his mouth giving his tongue an opening into her mouth. His tongue massages hers, hers possessively caresses every inch of her mouth without mercy, and he's happily lost in the moment. His hands work their way to grabbing her ass pulling her further into him. He fears she may have come to her senses when her phone vibrates against him, and she pulls away.

Ana pulls away from him to check her phone. She reads the message and lets out a small sigh of annoyance before angrily stuffing the phone back into her pocket. She had given Kate a second chance, and the first opportunity she had she had let her down again. She had often wondered what would have happened if José hadn't arrived when he did. José was a true friend and one that didn't leave her on her own because some guy in a tight pair of jeans had walked by checking him out.

The D.J announces that it's an hour before midnight. "Would you like to get out of here?" He leans back into her planting a small kiss on her neck; her soft moan has him closing his eyes as he counts backward from ten.

They make it outside just as Taylor makes it down the alleyway. "Ana, this is my driver and head of security." He introduced an irate looking Taylor. Clearly running down the streets of New York on New Years Eve was not ideal.

"Hello, Taylor." She sings. _Dear Lord what a voice._

"It would probably be quicker to walk." He murmurs as they pull out into traffic.

"I doubt it." She says looking at the throng of bodies pushing and shoving past each other.

"New Years Eve in New York is not a night to be out and about." He mumbles.

"What brought you out?" She asks.

"My brother thought it would be better than being subjected to one of our parent's stuffy idea of a New Years celebration back home." He says with a chuckle. "How about you?"

"It was a present from my dad and my best friend invited herself." Ana had intended to ask José, but naturally Kate had assumed the other ticket was hers. Jose had prior commitments and had stopped Ana, who had every intention of putting Kate in her place. She would rather have come to New York on her own rather than have Kate with her and tonight just proved her right.

Christian stares at her despite knowing he was making her uncomfortable, he couldn't help it and continued to stare. "You are staring." She mumbles biting her lip.

"I can't help it. You are beautiful." She blushes red, and he can't help his chuckle.

"You are not so bad yourself." She whispers looking up at him.

It takes almost forty minutes to arrive at the apartment and by this point it is snowing. It will not be a good night for many. "Welcome to Casa Grey." He says with a bow earning a giggle.

"It is beautiful." She says looking around.

"Would you like a drink?"

"A glass of water would be great." She says softly. Everything about her was delicate and beautiful he thought.

"Coming right up." Ana looks around the penthouse suite and can't help wonder why it's devoid of any personal mementos. No family pictures on the walls, just artwork.

He came back with two glasses of water; he'd already downed a glass just to steady his heart rate.

After half an hour of conversation, a little kissing to ring in the New year, Christian was at his wits end. "Ana… I want you desperately." He confesses throwing caution to the wind.

"I want you too, but I have a confession to make." She sits up and lets out a long sigh.

"Tell me." He says softly grabbing his glass of water.

"I'm a virgin." She states and he pays for taking a sip of water at that moment. It takes a few minutes for him to compose himself and he finds her trying desperately to hide her smile.

"You did that on purpose." He says still coughing the remnants of water from the wrong pipe.

"I wouldn't dare." She says with a gasps aiming for shock.

"You are a virgin." He repeats just to be sure. She nods looking him in the eye. "How are you still a virgin. You are fucking gorgeous, a goddess. How have you avoided my species." She lets out a giggle that has him further questioning how she's still a virgin.

"I just haven't been interested in anyone. No one has caught my attention." She says draining her glass of water. "I have found no one worthy of my time and especially my body." He finds her confidence such a turn on. She wasn't the type of personality he usually found attractive but clearly his taste was changing, and it was a welcome change.

"You want to lose your virginity to me?" he asks feeling honored to be given such a treasure. A treasure he knew he didn't deserve but who was he to turn her down.

"Yes, I find you attractive and… well, you look like you know what you are doing. Indeed, he did, strangely he found himself feeling uncomfortable as to how he acquired the knowledge.

Christian, blinked his eyes open but smiled when he remembered last night. _What a way to ring in the New Year._ He rolled over hoping for a repeat performance that was if she wasn't too sore, only to find the space next to him empty and cold. He saw the note on the pillow and with trepidation opened it.

 _Christian, I had a fantastic night._

 _Thank you for making my first time_

 _one to remember._

 _Ana. x_

His head dropped back on the pillow with sadness. Neither of them were clearly New Yorkers, and they both knew this was more than likely something that would only last a few days at best before they went their separate ways. He smiled knowing he had given her something wonderful that didn't include paperwork, contracts or money. For one night he was just Christian and for that, he would always hold her dear in his heart. He had one after all.


	2. Chapter 2

No one missed Christian's subdued behavior. He usually worked in his office during these trips even when he had family onboard, but today he sat out there with Elliot and Taylor and just stared out of the window. Elliot teased him mercilessly and not once did he get a 'fuck off' from his brother.

Elliot had come back to the apartment to find his brother still in bed. There were two empty glasses on the kitchen island; one had a pale pink lip-gloss on the rim. His brother had a woman in the apartment. Elliot couldn't wait to see who she was, and made sure he was in the vicinity when she left the bedroom, except Christian had walked out alone bags packed and ready to head back home.

As much as he told himself her leaving was for the best, he couldn't shake his thoughts of her. The way her body sung with pleasure as his mouth traced every inch and curve of her. Her moans and shouts of his name as he buried his face between her legs. He made sure she was wet and ready for him; he smiled as he remembered the look of trepidation in her eyes when he pulled his boxers off. God... she was tight and wet. He took her slowly, something he'd never done. Though his instincts kicked in, he was surprised it had been one of a vanilla nature, slow loving vanilla sex. It transcended everything he'd ever known. Every inch of him was attuned to her, he felt every movement, every whimper cut through him bestowing him with pleasures he never knew existed. The thought of never seeing her again; have that kind of connection again made him itch with desolation. They'd talked, laughed between bouts of lovemaking. God, he needed to speak to Flynn, he needed to understand how one encounter could sip into his pores with such unpitying force.

"It was inevitable. You are bored of the BDSM lifestyle and want something else. Something you always denied yourself because you thought you couldn't have it." Flynn intoned with a tenor Christian only ever heard outside of sitting on a couch and talking, but rarely listening.

"But I want it with her." He moaned.

"Have you tried looking for her?' Flynn asked feeling for his friend.

"I know nothing about her except her name. We talked about her love for books, the crazy antics of her friend Jose, her being an only child. I talked about Elliot, Mia…" he trailed off. "I tried the private club, but it protects its members like I expected it to. I've got Barney trying to hack their servers but so far no luck." Christian expected Flynn to give him a hard time about breaking the law, but for once Flynn found himself hoping he would succeed. He was tempted to bring up Elena but at the moment, it would only be a hypothetical scenario. He really hoped Christian found the girl.

* * *

"You seem much more relaxed. Did you indulge while in New York because you were far from this calm before you left snapping at me left, right and center." Elena purred, but mostly seeking information. "I'm glad you did, I can come over tonight with a few files, and we can go through them." She added with a chuckle.

"Elena I would no longer be needing the services of a sub any longer." Elena began to protest. "I would like you to respect my decision and not bring it up again. Anyway, I've done away with the playroom. I haven't been interested in it for almost a year, it was inevitable." He relayed with a shrug.

"And no, I didn't indulge… but I found something to tide me over for a while." He said with a smile. His smile was genuine as he thought about Ana's soft pale skin, one he didn't want to see marred in any way. If ever he saw her again he would not be letting her disappear on him.

"Well, don't keep me in suspense." She said with a smile of her own, albeit hers was false. Getting him subs was the one thing she truly did for him because he had no one else and really needed her. The salon business was just something he did because he felt he owed her. A feeling she knew had long passed. He didn't need the paltry sums she made for him. To her, it was a livelihood to him it was measly compared what his other subsidiaries brought in. If he no longer needed subs he would soon have no use for her, she would be passed off to some accountant to deal with the business side of things. Elena felt a cold wave of dread run over her. If she didn't find some way to keep her claws in him she will soon be just a hairdresser. She had the clout she did because she was Christian Grey's friend, not even Grace did for her what her son could do. "Come on, what is it?" She asked again making every attempt to stop her hands from shaking.

"If you don't mind this is something I would like to keep to myself for a little while longer. At the moment, I'm working on it becoming a permanent fixture…"

"Christian… I might be able to help." She said hoping to get the information out of him.

"Nope, not saying. No one knows, and it's staying that way. Not you, Flynn, my family… no one." Christian knew until he had told that little lie about Flynn not knowing Elena would not let it go. The woman had zero respect for Flynn and would sooner he got rid of him.

"The playroom had to go… I'm selling Escala. It's about time I got myself a real home. I am sick and tired of living in that art gallery I call a home. I'm looking for something in Bellevue." It was too close to his parents for Elena's liking. She needed to find out whatever this new coping mechanism was, and insert herself if she could, and if she couldn't get rid of it. The more she tried to get him to talk the more she realized that whatever this was had him so distracted she couldn't get more than a word or two out of him. Elena quickly realized that without his interest in BDSM they had very little to talk about. Worse she hated that wry smile on his face, the involuntary sigh that occasionally left him. What or who the fuck was it, and what the hell was he daydreaming about?

He could barely focus on his dinner with Elena, he heard her talking, but it might just as well have been gibberish. His thoughts centred around Ana though he had no vital information about her. They had talked when she asked about his family his instinct was to shut her down, but then he had an epiphany. He had no issue accepting her desires and unleashing his own on her, he had given her everything his body included. It took him a while to realize he had made no effort to protect his chest and back, he did not warn her about it. If he was honest, he completely forgot about a vital issue that has plagued him his entire life. If he could accept it from a complete stranger why not his own family. Just like Ana his family knew nothing of his dark proclivities, and if he had his way, which let's be honest he did, his family was never going to learn of it. He stared at the artist sketch on his wall of Ana. He had the man flown in from London to draw her just from his memory of her. He had several drawings from different angles. It was done mostly to help him find Ana, but it captured her essence to the point where he stared at it in awe for hours on end. _Ana, where in the world are you?_

* * *

Dad, please." She pleaded though she wondered why; Kate had a selfish attitude that annoyed the hell out of her.

"No Annie, enough is enough that girl is no good for you, and this was the last straw." Ray barked. Ana has only ever seen him this angry once before. When she woke up in the hospital to find him tearing into Kate. She agreed with her father, but unlike Kate, she was courteous and wanted to be the one to tell her she was no longer going to be living with her. "The transfer to Chicago is a brilliant idea, and I will call the office and arrange it. I think the next six months without that girl in your ear will do you a world of good. When you come back, the new apartment will be ready for you. It's bigger than what you have with Kate right now and the views Annie are to die for. You will enjoy living with José." Rays says with a finality that leaves no room for argument.

"I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that the men José associates with have no interest in me sexually." Ana countered.

"That helps." Ray retorted without a hint of shame or pretense.

If only he knew, thoughts of Christian invaded her mind, and she found herself constantly questioning her decision. Had leaving being a good idea. She could have stayed, talked in the morning, figured out if it was possible to have something more because by God she did want something more. Kate talked about how painful and horrible her first time was, it had given Ana the resolve to avoid the boys that buzzed around her like flies in college. Her experience with Christian was far removed from anything she could imagine. Her natural propensity for finishing on top had played a part in her walking out. What she didn't need was to be unceremoniously kicked out when he woke up and found her still there, though deep down she knew she was wrong about that.

Chicago would be a welcome distraction; thanks to the huge gamble her father had taken for her. Raymond Steele had taken every hard earned cent and after extensive research bought a failing publishing house. He knew nothing about publishing but what he was, was an expert in bringing out the best in people, the best out of young men and women who would face death and the horrors of war. Sometimes those horrors made you wish for death. If he could do that, he could certainly bring out the best in a group of people who feared they would soon be out of a job. Fear was the greatest of motivators, and he wasn't wrong. Within a year, he had transformed some little-known publishing house into Steele Publishing. He published a book by Ana's English teacher, which proved to be his saving grace, and soon more success followed. You couldn't dream of a better beginning to his story. Seven years Later Steele Publishing had seventeen branches in the United States and a further eight in Europe.

* * *

Kate wasn't doing well with the weeks of being given the cold shoulder by Ana. Ana could be cold when she wanted to, and right now Kate was feeling it. Ana had returned to the hotel in the early hours of the morning. She had hoped to talk and apologize, but Ana didn't want to hear it. Then again she couldn't blame her, she had profusely apologized back in May and the first chance to prove she was truly sorry and a real friend she had shown herself incapable of change. She was going to need a miracle to repair their friendship at this point.

"You must be desperate if you drove all the way here instead of just calling," Jose said as he sat down at the café they frequented when they all lived in Portland. He sat in his chair with all the confidence of a man who knew his worth. Heads turned when he walked into a room. Kate had tried to seduce him when she first met him only to be rebuffed.

"I am, she won't even talk to me… hell, I've barely seen her since we got back from New York." Kate lamented.

"You got so distracted by a beautiful face, and you missed the fact that someone drugged Ana's drink. Worse when she started to feel ill from the drugs you were completely ignorant of it all. I shudder to think what could have happened to her… and worse you invite yourself…" José stopped when he realized he'd said too much.

"The other ticket wasn't meant for me." she chuckled humorlessly. She'd assumed Ana would naturally take her.

"Give her time she will come around, it will take time, but this is Ana she will forgive you." Jose didn't believe his own words; at this point, Ray was doing everything he could to get Ana to move out of the apartment without delay. Knowing the man as well as he did, Ana most likely already had an apartment of her own. Ray has talked about getting her an apartment of her own, and this latest stunt from Kate is just what he needed to push his case.

"Give her time and don't hound her. You fucked up… again, it's going to take some doing for her to forgive you." _More like a fucking miracle._

* * *

What is this?" Elena seethed. "I asked you to follow Grey, not follow Grey and me. When I'm with him I know what he's doing, therefore, I don't need pictures of him and myself." She was ranting at this point.

"I don't know what you want. Give me some idea of what I'm meant to be looking for. The man is like a robot he does the same thing every day. He hasn't deviated in the three months I've been following him. He goes to work, goes home, he runs every other morning. He spends almost every weekend at his parents, and when he's not, he's in for the weekend."

"He spends the weekend at his parents?" Elena asks surprised by that revelation. Grace hasn't said a word, no beaming smiles about her precious boy spending time with his family _. Could that be his… no?_

"Yeah, almost every weekend…" the PI checked his notes. "With the exception of two weekends ago… yeah, every weekend at Bellevue."

"Keep on him." Elena barked.

"I'm sorry, but if you can't give me some idea of what I'm looking for, then I'm sorry I can't continue." Elena let out a sigh and looked up at the man in front of her.

"Three more months and if nothing changes we call it a day, as for what I want you to look for... if he deviates from his routine let me know." After a beat, the PI nodded and headed out.

"What the fuck?" Elena exclaimed. With the exception of Christian spending time with his family, nothing about the reports in the last three months surprised her. Christian loved control and having a set routine was part and parcel of his need for control. Elena knew it was time to crash the Grey family lunch this weekend. Come hell or high water she was going to find whatever he was hiding from her.

As luck would have it, Grace and Mia came in that Saturday. "Grace, Mia I didn't know you two would be here today." She sang with a genuine smile.

"It was a last minute arrangement. I called this morning, and here we are." Elena had made sure her staff would always accommodate the Greys no matter how short the notice. "The men are fishing on Christian's boat, so we thought we'd pamper ourselves today." There it was Christian spending the weekend with his family.

"That's lovely to hear… Christian spending time with the men."

"Oh yes, it's a weekly occurrence these days. Lord knows what has changed, but you won't see me complaining." Grace smiled brightly.

"Elliot thinks he's met someone," Mia added.

"Oh?" Elena's ears pricked up.

"I doubt that if he has why would he be spending all his free time with us," Grace argued.

"Good point… but I really was hoping he'd met someone." Mia added. That was the last thing Elena was hoping for, another woman in his life was the last thing she wanted, and she had made sure that never happened with any sub more or less someone outside of their lifestyle. _Over my dead body._


	3. Chapter 3

Christian was in the middle of a meeting when Elliot burst into the conference room with a blond in tow. He remembered her; Kavanagh had harassed his PR team for over a year trying to get an interview with him, which he eventually granted as a favor to her father. "She knows Ana." That was all Elliot needed to say. It had taken some cajoling on his part to get Christian to spill about that night in New York.

"Carry on without me." Christian walked out of the conference room with Elliot eagerly on his heels.

"Miss Kavanagh, do you know her?" Kate's jaw dropped at the large drawing of Ana gracing his wall.

"Yes, but Mr. Grey you have to understand I can't just give you her information."

"Miss. Kavanagh… I met Ana on New Years Eve in New York." Kate's eyes widened, and Christian knew he pretty much had her. "Ana gave me something precious…" He paused looking at his brother. "Elliot could you wait outside." He wasn't about to reveal Ana's secret to anyone.

"It's okay Mr. Grey I believe you." Kate and José were the only two people who knew about Ana being a virgin. It was evident to her that the precious gift was Ana giving him her virginity. "Ana and I haven't spoken since the beginning of the year, but this is her number." She handed her phone over to Christian, who quickly memorized the number.

"Thank you," Christian smiled when he really wanted to leap up and down with elation.

"Kate could you give us a minute," Elliot asked.

"How?" Christian blurted out the moment Kate was out the door.

"I remembered her from the picture and remembered she was with Kate. Kate, I knew lived in right here in Seattle. I didn't want to say anything in case I was wrong. I trawled through social media sites till I found her." Elliot answered with a shrug.

"We did the same but found nothing." Christian's frustration over that damn near had Barney walking out.

"She hasn't got a social media account. Kate said she wasn't a fan." Christian nodded. Barney had a love for supercars, he'd get him one his way of an apology because actually saying sorry wasn't really something he did and his employees knew it.

"E… I don't know how to thank you. Fuck I should have told you sooner." He said kicking himself. "It has been a long seven months. Thank you, Elliot."

"When are you going to call...?" Before Elliot had finished his sentence, Christian was punching her number into his phone.

* * *

Ana sat on her couch surrounded by manuscripts she had no desire to read. For seven months she had barely gone a day without thoughts of Christian drifting through her mind. The way he maneuvered her body as his cock drove in and out of her. He worshipped every inch of her, at one point he set up camp between her legs drawing orgasm after orgasm from her till she was dripping wet. God, that cock had looked so imposing at first but then she couldn't get enough of him. As sore as she got she wanted more, and he obliged. If he couldn't use his cock his fingers and tongue did the job.

She stood up looking out of her glass wall in hope the views it provided would distract her from her night with Christian… except her mind conjured up images of Christian behind her, her hands on the glass as he slowly pushed his massive cock into her. He was deliberately cruel as he continued to slowly torture her with his cock and she enjoyed every second of it.

Her finger worked it way into her panties… _God damn it._ As much as she wanted to ignore the phone, the first ring alone had been enough to distract her. She picked up without looking at the number. "Hello." Her breathing sounded labored. She heard the sharp intake of breath on the other side followed by a breathy "Ana." She'd recognize that voice anywhere.

Christian." She moaned despite every effort to sound less like the unrestrained woman she was right now.

"Where are you?" Christian would make an attempt at conversation when he saw her. He just had to see her first.

"Do you know the Escala building?" _You have got to be fucking kidding._

"Yes." He growled. He was on his way out of his office when she gave him her door number.

Ana raced to the bathroom, her hair was still somewhat straight from last night; damn she needed a haircut. It was days like this that she missed her mother dearly. Someone to talk to bout boys or in her case a man, the one on his way to her apartment. She had never been great at having or making female friends. Her father wasn't exactly ready to hear about her liking a man, one she had given her virginity to. The doorbell rung dragging her focus into here and now, she raced to the door and hurriedly opened it before she realized she was still in her see-through tank top and lace briefs shorts.

"Ana." His eyes raked over her body without restraint.

"Come in." She blushed a little. _What must he think?_ "Sorry, I didn't think to change." She realized as the words left her mouth she was not entirely sorry not with the way he was looking at her.

"Oh, I don't mind." He was damn near drooling. She shut the door with a low chuckle. A split second later she found herself slammed against it, his mouth on her feverishly kissing her. "Fuck, I've missed you." He groans as her hands wrapped around his neck and using that as leverage she climbed up his body legs wrapping around his waist. They'd talk later; he had told himself to exercise restraint, but the moment the door opened he could feel every ounce of self-control leaking out of him.

He knew these apartments well he had considered buying one for Mia. He led her to the master bedroom and unceremoniously threw her onto the bed. She bounced with a giggle as he took off his suit jacket followed by his belt. She got on her knees and undid his zipper. He froze for a split second, after pulling off his shirt. She eyed his chest with unrestrained anger. She closed her eyes and counted backwards from ten. The move did more for Christian than sadness, sympathy, understanding or crying, God he hated crying could ever do. This was a reaction he understood, her anger fuelled something in him and without thought he took her hands and placed it on his chest. _Fuck, it hurts._

Ana knew pain when she saw it, her mother had gone through it and the man standing in front of her was fighting through the same kind of pain she couldn't imagine. She tried to pull her hands away, but he had it firmly in his grasp. "You gave me something precious, you gave yourself to me wholly. If I can't do that for you then… I want you to know what it meant to me, that I did not take it lightly…" His words were cut short when she yanked her hand away grabbing him by this shirt and tossing him on the bed. He was shocked to find himself beneath her, her lips on his dominating the kiss; he let her take control… for now. She straddled him grinding hard on the growing cock beneath her. He groaned into her mouth, and she slipped her tongue into his mouth massaging his.

Christian kicked off his shoes and socks. Anchoring his feet on the edge of her bed he pushed them further up the bed before rolling them over onto Ana's back. His fingers found her soaking wet pussy. He rubbed her clit gently through her panties. "Oh fuck." Ana mewled giving Christian the incentive to push her panties aside and insert a finger in her.

"Oh yes." He hissed in appreciation. Her heat engulfing his fingers as he found her sweet spot. Ana all but bucked him off as pleasure coursed through her body. "Are you still on the pill?" he asked planting soft kisses on her, down her clavicle to her breast. "Answer me?" He commanded softly.

"Yes." She moaned; it was not as though her menstrual cycle had regulated itself all of a sudden.

"Good." He growled as he sat up quickly undoing his belt and buttons pulling off his trousers. Ana couldn't take her eyes off his cock. She tentatively runs her finger over the length. He groaned at the contact giving Ana the courage to take it further. She wrapped her fingers around him and started running it up and down his length. Christian wrapped his fingers around her and squeezed harder. "Just like that." He groaned. Ana saw the precum hanging from the head and without thought licked it off. He took a sharp intake of breath. She smiled at herself and feeling more courageous wrapped her lips around the head of his cock. "God… yes, Ana… that's it… just like that." He moaned. Remembering a comment José had once made about giving a blowjob, she took her fingers off and took his cock all the way into her mouth. Christian was seconds away from cuming when the head of his cock hit the back of her throat. She sucked him with a purpose… to blow his load like a schoolboy getting his first head. "Ana… I'm cuming… fuck… if you don't want me to…" He came harder than he thought possible. Months of pent up anger and frustration unleashed in a few minutes.

Ana released his cock with a pop, she runs her tongue once more over the head before looking up at him. He was panting hard drawing breath into his starved lungs. "Give me a sec." He puffed.

"Sure." She answered smugly remembering just how smug he looked when he gave her her first orgasm in New York. The feeling was intoxicating. She had little time to bask in her own glory when Christian threw her legs over his shoulders and slowly sunk into her.

"Fuck… you are tight… and wet." He groaned. "You good?" He asked pulling out slowly.

"Yes." That was all he needed to hear. He slammed back into her and stilled. "Still good." She whimpered. Pushing his body forward he started to piston his hip, his cock cutting through her folds at a dizzying speed. Ana's moans got louder and louder much to Christian's delight. "You like me fucking you don't you?" he teased through gritted teeth as his assault on her pussy continued.

"I'm cuming" she cried.

"I know baby. You are squeezing the life out of me." He grunted grinding his cock into her with a fierce determination. "That's it… just like that." He crooned as she shook with pleasure; head thrown back, mouth wide open as she came spectacularly under him. He followed with a few thrust prolonging her orgasm in the process. He collapsed on the bed next to her. "Fuck Ana, there is no disappearing this time." He growled. Her doorbell ringing interrupted them.

"That could be one of two people. Let's pray it's not my dad." Ana giggled when Christian shot of the bed and started getting dressed.

"Aren't you getting dressed?" He asked buttoning his shirt.

"Where is the fun in that?" she was gone before he could answer. He wondered if he could call Taylor to drop a rope down just in case it was her father.

"What are you doing here?" Ana asked ignoring the look José was giving her. Her skin was flushed, hair all over the place and she was wrapped in her bed sheet.

"He cancelled while I was on my way," Jose answered eyeing her up with a knowing smile.

"I can't believe he cancelled." She studiously avoided his stare while carrying on with the conversation.

"Well, now I understand why he cancelled." Jose all but purred. Ana turned to find Christian watching José with guarded eyes. Her jaw dropped when she finally made the connection.

"You are Christian Grey." She said in a whisper. _How did I not know that?_

"Damn girl, Kate spent a year and a half going on about him and you still don't know who he is," Jose asked looking at Ana as though she was in some way…

"Don't look at me as if I'm crazy." She growled much to Christian's amusement.

"Hello, I'm José Rodriguez." He held on to Christian's hand a little longer than necessary. Christians eyes widened in recognition.

"Mr. Rodriguez I'm sorry you made the trip for nothing, but you have to understand…"

"Oh I do, I do." He said eyeing Christian up. It was a rarity to see José doing the checking out. It was usually the other way round. Christian's guarded look disappeared in an instant. Rodriguez was gay.

"How did this happen?" he asked making his way to the kitchen.

"My brother found Miss. Kavanagh, he remembered Ana and Kate together the night we meet. He showed her a picture of Ana and she confirmed that she knew who you were and he dragged her to my office. She was reluctant to tell me Ana's last name or anything until I explained our meeting on New Year's Eve." Christian explained.

"You have a picture of me?" Ana asked surprised.

"No, I have a sketch of you." He took his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Ana. She barely had time to examine the picture when José snatched it out of her hand.

"This is good, I mean really good. It manages to capture your allure."

"My sentiments precisely," Christian said staring at her with barely disguised lust.

"I'm here for the weekend so you might want to take this to his place. It's only two floors up." Jose interrupted their lust filled stare.

"Mr. Rod…"

"José, please." He purred.

"Did Andrea reschedule your appointment?" Christian asked as he didn't want to delay the promotional and website shoots any longer than he had to. He was blowing off enough work as it was.

"She did, for first thing Monday morning. Oh, I'm here until Monday morning." He quickly added when he realized what Christian was getting at.

"He has a lot of questions, most of it will go unanswered, but I need to indulge his attempt at finagling information out of me and then I will come up," Ana said planting a very indecent kiss on Christian.

"I'll be waiting." As he walked out, he sent her a text. She will need the elevator code after all.

The door had barely shut behind him when José pounced. "Okay, spill."

"What is there to spill… it's pretty much obvious."

"I can see why he's looking for a photographer. Most people don't know who he is without researching… that is if you are outside of his social circle." Jose poured himself a glass of wine as he spoke.

"It's not yet midday," Ana advised in surprise.

"You are doing the bump and grind with Christian Grey I need a drink to calm my nerves." He countered.

I thought today was just an interview…"

"Honey, I've got the job. The comment I made about the drawing got me the job." Jose oozed the kind of confidence Ana had become used to. "If I nail this job, college is paid for."

"Do you need an assistant?" Ana asked with a barely disguised grin.

"I thought that went without saying." Jose purred.

* * *

"Your father is Raymond Steele, as in Steele Publishing?" Christian asked with a barely disguised glee.

"Why are you so happy?" Ana couldn't stop giggling at the look on his face.

"Because Steele Publishing does all of GEH's printing." He answered.

"I forgot about that… I mean you being Christian Grey." The thought thrilled Christian immensely.

"Wow… you are the daughter who was spending six months in Chicago."

"That would be me," Ana responded with a smirk.

Ray once told me once I hope a guy like you ends up dating my daughter. He didn't know me well enough if he did he would not be so enthusiastic about me dating you." The moment he uttered those words he knew he shouldn't have.

"Do I need to ask?" Despite her composed appearance, she was far from it. _What is this man about to confess?_

Christian with great trepidation explained his history with Elena and his former lifestyle. "I have the impression you and I are not in sync with our thoughts. What I have a problem isn't what you expect me to have an issue with." She said flatly.

"If you don't have any concerns regarding my former lifestyle… what do you have a problem with?" He asked genuinely perplexed.

"The fact that you asked tells me all I need to know."

"I'm confused." He didn't see what else she could possibly have an issue with.

"I can see that." She scoffed. Her phone vibrated before she could say anymore. "I have to go, my father is here." She stood and headed for the elevator without another word.

"Ana please let's talk about this." He was begging. He, Christian Grey was begging.

"We will… just not right now." With that, the elevator doors closed.

Taylor watched Ana on the CCTV monitor as she paced the elevator. Watching her leave again was excruciating. She had changed the boss in ways he never thought possible and to think because of that vile creature the boss might just lose her again. He couldn't stop her leaving the penthouse in New York and couldn't stop her now; the thought left him feeling useless. Later tonight he would update the boss on the latest development regarding the PI. If that didn't do damage to his relationship with the bitch, he'd eat his socks.

Taylor knew Elena had paid top dollar for the PI, knowing Christian as well as she did she knew she needed the best. Taylor had initially thought him to be paparazzi. Hell, the man's license plate came back registered to a Paul Collins, a freelance photographer, but something about the way he operated got Taylor's backup and had asked Barney to dig a little further. It had taken Barney a while to find out Paul Collins was really a PI and an excellent one at that.

It was evident Elena was trying to find the cause for the boss's behavior. The boss's encounter with the girl they now knew as Miss Anastasia Rose Steele had changed him. He was on the way there, but she had pushed him forward and damn near out of the clutches of Elena Lincoln, and he was going to help her finish the job even at the cost of his own if need be.


	4. Chapter 4

"You told her about your past, your previous lifestyle and introduction to it, but she doesn't have an issue with your practice of BDSM. What do you think it could be?" Flynn watched as Christian paced the great room.

"John… I really don't know." At that moment, Flynn wondered if Christian was being obtuse or Elena had her claws in him so deep the man could not see how damaging she was and is.

"Christian this is something you need to figure out on your own. I believe she left to give you time to go over what you told her. Sit down dissect it, pick it apart and find the answer to her question." Flynn made every effort to hold back his delight at this new development. It was evident the young lady had made quite the impression on Christian, and it was just too good to be anything another than delighted. He had the distinct feeling that Elena Lincoln's days were numbered.

"What am I paying you for?" He bellowed.

"You can take a horse to the water, but you can't force it to drink. You are at that water and have been for a while. It's time to start drinking my friend." Flynn stood up.

"Is that it?"

"Christian if you didn't hear me the first time here it is again, its time to start finding the answers. I am not here to give them to you. It will not benefit you for me to give you the answers."

"For fuck sake, I'm not asking… you know what never mind."

He called Ana after two hours pacing the apartment; José picked up informing him Ray was still there. He systematically went through what he'd told her, but this time, his mind focused on her features. She winced when he told her he was fifteen when he was… fuck, Ana had a problem with Elena.

He had high hopes the two of them would get along. Elena had saved him from certain death. Ana was the girl that gives him the inner peace and normalcy that had escaped him all these years. Just thinking about her was enough to calm the beast within. Elena was his only friend and Ana, the girl he hoped would become his girlfriend… fuck Ana not liking Elena was going to pose some real problems.

"You seem a million miles away." He jumped out of the chair.

"I was." He rubbed his face in frustration. "She saved me, she helped me gain control of my emotions, I stopped fighting, I paid attention in school and made good grades. Grades that got me into Harvard. She believed in me when my father didn't… enough to give me the money to start GEH." He argued fiercely hoping she would understand.

"There isn't any argument on this planet you could make that would have me believe she did a good thing for you. For all you know given time you would have grown out of your behavior by yourself without the influence of sex and punishment. You were robbed of your teenage years and you don't see it. I do not care what you say that woman is a pedophile, a vile disgusting excuse for a woman." She sneered.

"Ana." He warned.

"Don't Ana me. She is a goddamn pedophile. You were fifteen years old… fifteen, for fuck sake. You were not old enough to give consent." She roared.

"I wanted it, I asked for it, I went back time and time again." He tried again.

"Yeah it's called grooming, that's what pedophiles do." She countered. "She has you so caught up in her web you can't see beyond her machinations." She was frustrated with the man in front of her. How could he be so blind?

"Ana, I like you… I want us to… I want to be the only man in your life… romantically."

"I want that too, but keep that vile woman away from me. Christian, I swear I will not be held responsible for my actions." She seethed.

"I will keep Elena away from you." He placated as he edged close grinding his cock against her, he didn't pay attention to the fact that he had used Elena's name. Ana wrapped her arms around his head and bathed in the pleasure he bestowed on her, but she had taken note of the name. At the first given opportunity, she will get the bitch's full name.

* * *

Elena Lincoln was becoming more irritable by the minute as she looked for something to wear to dinner that evening with Christian. Her phone rang a couple of times, but she ignored it, her concentration was needed for the task at hand.

She could feel her grip loosening on her priced asset, and she couldn't have that. Come hell or high water this evening she was going to make sure she found whatever Christian's new coping mechanism was. It clearly wasn't any new relationship, her PI hadn't seen him with anyone in the three months he was surveilling Christian. Grace and Mia had also made it clear that between his weekends at Bellevue and work there wasn't time for anyone else. That was something else that had her perplexed… what had brought on this sudden change, the sudden need to be around his family. She had spent years keeping him away from his family and their influence and after one weekend in New York… New York, whatever it was, it happened in New York. What in God's name happened there?

She drove to the Mile High in great spirits, she looked great, in fact, she would say spectacular. She sat in the corner booth reserved for the Grey's when the private room wasn't available and ordered a bottle of wine. Fifteen minutes had gone by, and Christian had yet to show his face. She gave it another ten minutes and decided to call him.

Her call went unanswered, forcing her to leave a message. "Christian… I've been here for almost half an hour. Where are you?" After draining another glass of wine, she dialed the main line number for the penthouse. Again no one answered. What on earth was happening? Her phone rang, and she answered without looking thinking it was Christian. "I've been calling you all afternoon." The PI barked on the other end.

"What?" Elena sighed in frustration.

"He left GEH this morning and drove back to Escala like a man possessed. Something is going on, and I have no way of knowing. I'm in the underground carpark waiting." Elena hung up without a word. She needed to get to Escala; whatever was happening had prevented Christian from making the meeting.

* * *

"No, no, no… you have got to feed a girl first. It's dinner time, and I am hungry." That had Christian moving faster than she expected.

"Stay right there. Dinner will be here in a few minutes." He walked out in just his pajama bottoms.

"Just in time." Gail beamed at a disheveled-looking Christian.

"Just pile it on one plate, and a tray would be great." He pulled a bottle of Sancerre out of the fridge.

"Sir, Elena Lincoln is on her way up." Neither Taylor nor Gail missed his panicked look.

The elevator doors opened and in stormed a very furious Elena Lincoln. "Christian it's Thursday we had a dinner meeting today or did you somehow forget." She seethed.

"Actually, I did." He responded nonchalantly. Elena's arrogant demeanor had erased every trace of panic from Christian. Call Andrea and have her pencil you in for sometime next week." He picked up his tray and bottle of Sancerre and a wine glass between his teeth.

"Christian. What the…" the bedroom door shut out her question. She stormed towards the door or attempted to, but Taylor blocked her path.

"What is going on with him?" She barked.

"Nothing that concerns you." Taylor snarled back as he escorted her out.

"Careful Taylor… you forget your place." Elena sneered with a contemptuous smile.

"Oh I know my place alright, and it's not at risk." Taylor countered with a contemptuous smile of his own as the elevator doors shut. That little jab affected Elena more than Taylor would have imagined. Yes, she was worried about her place in his life.

"Who was that?" Ana asked as he put the tray on the bed between them.

"Nothing to worry about." Ana stared at him with a knowing look. "Please baby, can… we focus on us." He knew if he didn't find a way to keep the harmony between the two women he was going to lose one. Yes, his relationship with Elena was going to change, but he didn't want to lose her entirely. She had been his rock when he desperately needed one. Ana was giving him the things he never thought he deserved or could have. He couldn't lose either woman, he just couldn't.

"Okay." Ana knew when to pick her battles and right now wasn't the moment. The pedophile would have to go, but forcing Christian to do it because of her would later lead to resentment. Christian had to see the woman for who she was and part company on his own accord. She was just going to provide a lot of push quietly.

"When I woke up I thought I was okay with you leaving, within hours, I would have given my right arm to know your name or enough about you to find you. I checked with the club to get the CCTV footage of that night. Unfortunately, they only keep the footage for twenty-four hours if nothing of significance happens."

"I felt the same. I left because a part of me thought it was just a one night stand and you'd want me gone when you woke up." Ana confessed.

"I can't believe you lived in Seattle the entire time and worse this building. I really need to be more sociable. I would have found…"

"No, you wouldn't. You forget I was in Chicago for six months. I got back the day before you called me."

"I can't believe we have Elliot and Kate to thank…" Ana groaned cutting Christian off.

"Yeah, Kate… I have to call her at some point. We do need to talk… I was too angry to speak to her just yet."

"What happened? She said you haven't spoken since the beginning of the year. I saw you walk away from her in New York." She took the wine glass from him and took a sip.

"Kate is selfish, always has been. Our first month in the dorms I came home after along day and part of the night at the library to find a sock on the door, that was the third night in a row. I couldn't take it anymore… so I took the sock off and walked back out and threw it in the trash. I walked in the room paid no attention to them as Kate screamed at me as if I had done something wrong. I ignored her jumping into the bed with my clothes on I was that tired. That is Kate, complete disregard for other people.

The first time I went out with Kate… within minutes, she left me on my own and left with a guy she just met. I didn't even know she had left, I spent the majority of the night looking for her. She didn't answer her phone either. I went to the apartment, and I could hear her in the bedroom. This I soon learned would be something that would happened on a regular occurrence. I loathed going out with her, but she would push and push till you gave in, most nights I would go because José would be there and we'd have a great time without her as she was off with another pretty face. It was tedious but bearable until she got distracted at the bar and my drink got spiked with enough MDMA that nearly killed me." Christian broke the stem of the wine glass spilling the content luckily onto the tray. Ana gently took the wine glass from him checking his fingers for any cuts as he did all he could to calm his racing heartbeat.

"Cut a long story short José took me to the hospital, where I was admitted for a month. I was in a coma for two weeks. She cried and begged, got on her knees and pleaded. Hell, her mother came to the hospital apologizing for her daughter's behavior." Ana added with a chuckle.

"Wait a second… she left you on your own and stood at the bar with Elliot." Christian seethed.

"Where some guy thought I would take an open bottle of beer from him." He understood why she had stormed out. After everything that happened, Kate had repeated her behavior again.

"On one hand he found you because of she left you to talk to Elliot, on the other she showed she is incapable of change." Ana nodded in agreement.

"Okay, enough of that… let's talk about more pleasant things."

"So, I know you are Raymond Steele's daughter. What about your mother?"

"I said pleasant things. That is a conversation for another time, just as the cigarette burns on your chest is for another day." Christian had the distinct feeling her knowing what the scars were was related to the story of her mother. "New York, you chased me to another club, I know you paid a pretty penny to get in." He nodded with a beaming smile. _It was worth every single cent and more._

"I saw you when you got out of the cab, I was being my usual self and hiding in the office when I saw you. Something about you immediately had every cell in my body on fire. I never imagined we would end up with you giving me such a beautiful gift. Why me?"

"Something pulled me to you, I immediately thought if you didn't turn out to be a complete moron I will have sex with you." She giggled at his look when she said 'moron.' "I didn't exactly call you moron." She placated though he still pouted.

"That is not enough." He crossed his arms over his chest with a huff.

"How can I make it up to you?" She purred as she crawled towards him climbing onto his lap.

"That's a start." She kissed the corner of his mouth.

"We are getting there." He moaned.

* * *

"Sir, can I have a minute." Christian stared at his bedroom door for a few seconds before turning to face Taylor.

"The PI following you was hired by Elena Lincoln." Christian quickly moved away from the bedroom door hoping Ana didn't hear the name. "So far it still appears to be strictly surveillance. I initially suspected her from the very get go but eliminated her from our list of suspects when I saw the PI taking photographs of you and Elena leaving the Mile High last Thursday. I firmly believe she is trying…"

"To find who or what is responsible for my no longer needing subs." Christian run his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Thank you Taylor, I will deal with her." Christian took a deep breath rearranging his features only to return to the bedroom to find Ana dressed.

"You are leaving?"

"I have to get to work I have a meeting with a couple of authors and HR wants me to look through a few applicants for the Editor's position today. How about I cook you dinner tonight." He relaxed immediately it was Friday morning after all, and they both had to go to work.

"That sounds lovely. I guess José and I can talk today. Can you tell him to meet me at GEH in two hours?" Ana kissed him soundly though she knew he was up to something. His voice had an edge when he requested for José. Ray had thought her well, and there was little that got past her.

"You are not giving him the job because he's my best friend?" Ana asked with a raised eyebrow.

"There are a number of people working in GEH because a friend recommended them."

"A recommendation and outright getting the job are two different things." She countered.

"Ana, he was our top candidate, I saw his work in Portland before he was done setting up last year." Another thing she missed because of Kate. "And Ray recommended him." _Of course, he did._

"If you say so. I will see you later tonight." Her voice left him under no illusion of what the night would entail and it sure as hell wasn't dinner and a movie.

* * *

Paul Collins spent all night in the Escala underground and Grey had yet to venture out, he was about to give up when the private elevator door opened. He got his camera ready and snapped away. He kept snapping through his shock, he couldn't possibly be seeing what he was seeing. If he were cash strapped, Elena would not have gotten her hands on these. Instead, it would be gracing the front pages of every publication he could sell these pictures to. Fuck, had she suspected this all along… did she know something and wanted prove or was this going to be used as blackmail material? He found he didn't particular care, he was hired to do a job, and it was done. What followed was none of his business. He'd soon be in Sacramento following a cheating spouse three PI's had failed to catch.

"I have it, and you are not going to believe your eyes."

"What is it?" Elena asked impatiently.

"You are not going to believe me if I told you, just look for yourself. Should be in your inbox any minute now. Got to go, Grey is leaving." Elena Lincoln hung up with a smile. Finally, she should have hired him the minute Christian all but gushed about his new coping mechanism during dinner. She wasted months waiting for him to talk. She refreshed her inbox every second waiting for the pictures…

"Here we go." She opened the attachments and wondered if it was some kind of joke. "What the hell!"

"What the hell is this?" Paul was on the verge of hysterics.

"I know, he's at GEH now…" She slammed the phone down. Grabbed her bag, she was headed for GEH. Fuck getting an appointment. She's never needed one.

"Isaac, you are driving." Her nerves were too frayed to drive. This couldn't be true, after all these years. It was just not possible.

No one dare stop her as she matched her way to his private elevator. Had damn thing being this slow the entire time. The doors finally opened, and she barged past Olivia who was stuttering a load of nonsense. She pushed the doors open and froze.


	5. Chapter 5

"Christian sauntered into his bedroom with a serene smile, for once he didn't have to reminisce about his time with Ana in New York, she was here just two floors below him. Eventually finding her so close was mind-boggling, but as far as he was concerned it couldn't have been more perfect.

Ana watched Christian disappear back into the bedroom before walking back through the double doors and heading for his kitchen. She found Gail wiping down tables. "Hello, I wanted to say thank you for feeding me." She said with a giggle. "I'm Ana by the way." She added as she shook Gail's hand.

"It is such a pleasure to meet you." Gail gushed. "Without being present, you have brought so much light into his life. Everyone can see the change in him… though not everyone is happy about it." Gail added without thinking.

"Elena." Ana sneered.

"He told you," Gail said surprised. She knew Ana had not signed an NDA. Hell, she doubted it had even crossed Christian's mind.

"Yes, he did, not that he's aware he let the name slip. What can you tell me about her?"

"Miss Steele." Ana whirled around to find Taylor's cool stare on her. "All you need to know." Was all he said as he handed her a pen drive. Having heard Ana call Elena a pedophile and a few other choice names he knew he had an ally in his mission to rid the Grey's of Elena Lincoln.

"You are still here." Ana calmly pocketed the pen drive before turning her attention to Christian.

"Just getting to know your staff... after all, they will be seeing a lot of me." Christian looked like a boy getting all he asked for at Christmas.

Gail beamed another smile at her as she gave her and Taylor a wink behind Christian's back.

An hour later Christian ventured out of the bedroom to find José sitting by the kitchen island with Gail, a glass of wine in his hand. "Good Morning Mr. Rodriguez. A little early to be imbibing in my rather expensive bottle of wine."

"And it tastes like it too." José countered without missing a beat. "I've got a meeting with Mr. Grey... nail it, and I'm set for life, one needs to calm his nerves, and this bottle is getting the job done." Christian straightened his tie and cleared his throat in an attempt to temper his laughter.

"How did you get up here?" He asked making the utmost effort to keep a straight face.

"Annie had the code to your elevator on her phone." He answered nonchalantly.

"You went through her phone."

"I go through her everything." He countered. Christian had never met anybody who had gotten this comfortable with him this quickly.

"Shall we?" he asked ignoring Gail's attempt to stifle her laughter.

"Oh yes, GEH here we come. Now, later we will have to talk about this museum you call a home."

"I've been looking for a place, but so far no luck," Christian said with a shrug.

"Why don't you just look for the ideal land and build something to your satisfaction," José advised eyeing up Taylor's butt.

"Barking up the wrong tree Mr. Rodriguez," Taylor growled.

"Who said I'm eyeing you up?" José huffed. "I'll stick with copper and gray here. Rather an odd color combination, but on you, it works." Much to Christian's surprise José locked arms with him as the elevator doors open.

"It's my hair and eye color, not a mismatched suit combination." Christian retorted much to José's amusement. They both missed the PI on the far end of the garage taking pictures. Taylor, on the other hand, couldn't help his smirk knowing full well the PI was going to jump to the wrong conclusion, hopefully, Elena Lincoln would do the same.

"I'm beginning to think color isn't something you do, gray suit, white shirt, white walls, white furniture and not forgetting glass," José complained looking around Christian's office.

"What do you anything about interior design?" He mumbled.

"What did you think about Annie's apartment?" He countered. As much as Christian hated to admit it, he loved what he saw in Ana's apartment. The place was warm, it was a home. Off white colors graced the walls, she had the same L shaped sectional couch he had, but hers was brown, with a throw over the back, a few cushions in various shades of brown. A few potted plants made the space feel complete. "Let's get down to business." He said ignoring his smug smile.

"I have a few concepts here we can look through, see what you like." He hadn't noticed the portfolio José was carrying. "The pictures for your website can be a simple headshot, or you can go with a full body shot or waist shot." The change in José surprised him when it came to his business the man was no joke.

"I'll order lunch, we can work while we eat," Christian suggested.

"Sounds cozy." He purred. _Annnnd he was back._

"The deli across the road does a fantastic meatball sub. Would you like one?"

"I would love a meatball sub." José batted his eyelashes at him.

"Andrea, two meatball subs, two mixed shakes and a double chip cookie…"

"Cookie for me too," José shouted into the intercom.

"Okay, for the website I will go with the waist shot and for the promotional shoots for the online magazine… why can't we use the same shot?" he asked.

"We can take several shots in the same setting and then use one for the promotion and then the various variations for the magazine… you know show some continuity."

"Yeah, I like that," Christian smiled.

"As much as I love the wild untamed locks, we have to tame it somewhat for the shoot." He suggested running his fingers through Christian's hair. Christian was about to slap his hands away when the door slammed open. Fuck.

"What are you doing here?" Christian shot out of his chair towards Elena like a man possessed. The last thing he needed was José telling Ana about this. He had no desire to have that conversation again; he doubted he could distract her this time.

"Well, I heard some unsettling rumors, and I came to see for myself." She craned her neck to get a better view of the Hispanic man who was practically on top of Christian when she came in. This was the same man whose arm was locked with Christian's, and now here he was running his fingers through his hair. Hell she didn't run her fingers through his hair

"I told you to book an appointment with Andrea." He elevator doors opened and Andrea walked out with their lunch.

"I've never needed one before." She snarled.

"Well, now you do." He growled pushing her back into the elevator just as the doors closed. He knew what she was thinking but right now he didn't have time for her nonsense, after all these years for her to jump to such conclusions was down to her own stupidity. _Unsettling rumors my ass; more like information from the PI she has following me._ Taylor had informed him about the PI in the garage, he was not too bothered with it. Hopefully, both Elena and the PI would consider this job done.

By the time Elena exited the elevators, she was smiling. If Christian new found coping mechanism was men, then she will be available to provide male subs just as she did with the women. She froze in the middle of the lobby drawing attention to herself. She would no longer have a sexual relationship with him, for years, she had hoped that eventually he would come back to her, but now that dream had been shattered. She did not recognize the man in the office, nor did he behave like a sub. The more she thought about it, the less she liked what she was saw.

* * *

Ana read and reread the file on Lincoln that Taylor had handed her. She had a business with Christian, a chain of salons, on the salon website there was a picture of the pedophile looking as polished as you would expect someone in her line of business to look. The venture had started just after her divorce from one Michael Lincoln. This was the pedophile's personal and business information, that coupled with what Christian had divulged was all she would need. She hated surprises, and Elena Lincoln was in no way about to surprise… she smiled when she realized that was precisely what Taylor intended. _Know thy enemy._

Ana had a couple of hours to get dinner ready before Christian came over, her plans to leave work early was shot to hell when Ray showed up, that was twice in two days. Something was up, but clearly her father wasn't ready to talk about it yet. She filed that away for another day and put the grocery shopping away. "Now what am I suppose to do while you and that man candy get it on." José sauntered in looking as put together as always.

"It's Friday night, go get laid before you jump _my_ man candy." Ana countered paying more attention to him. José looked unusually apprehensive. "What?"

"I hate to spoil the mood, and I'm only doing so because I got the impression he wants to keep it from you, and that is never a good sign…"

"Let me guess, bleach blond hair coifed to perfection and I'd hazard an all black attire."

"Who is she?" he asked none too kindly.

"Someone that needs to go, but right now I have to play it wisely or else resentment might set in later." She growled.

"Let me know if you need any help. Oh, I got the feeling she thinks there is something between Christian and me." Ana smiled serenely at him. "What are you up to now?" he groaned. The last time she got him in involved in one of her schemes he was nearly expelled, then again she had the college apologizing a day later for almost expelling him for something he didn't do. Until today, he still has no idea how she pulled it off.

"Nothing that would get you into trouble." She assured him.

She was pulling the Steaks out of the oven when the doorbell rang. "You stand there and look sexy… I'll get the door." It had nothing to do with him getting another opportunity to ogle Ana's man candy.

"Christian, come in." José purred in appreciation. Christian was dressed in jeans, long sleeve V-neck t-shirt that clung to him showing off his well-defined body.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Ana all but pushed José out the door. "I'd apologize for him, but he will just be right back at it the next time he sees you. Which could end up being tomorrow morning depending where he ends up."

"I brought a bottle. Red okay?" he asked presenting her with a bottle of Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon.

"Excellent should go well with dinner." Ana bites her lip unconsciously completely missing Christian heated stare. _Where the fuck did that come from?_

* * *

"BDSM." Christian sighed before taking another sip of his wine. This was not his idea of after dinner conversation.

"I don't have a problem with it, you know that. BDSM in of itself is a safe, consensual practice that brings a lot of people joy and satisfaction. What I have a problem with is your introduction to the lifestyle. We will not talk about the pedophile tonight." Ana saw the relief in his eyes. It was evident Christian did not see Elena for what she was… so she was going to have Elena do it for her. Elena will be the one to show him her true nature.

"Okay, what do you want to know?" Incredible how he made a sentence sound about as dirty as can be.

"I've been to a club a few times…" Christian's eyes damn near dropped out of its sockets. "Just to watch, nothing else. José and I went to a club in London last summer. It was an… experience, I liked the environment, I loved the control the subs had over their own bodies." Christian wanted to tell her that that was what Elena had thought him but fuck if he was going to open that door. "It also thought me that I could never ever be a sub. There is no way someone is dictating my every move." She scoffed.

"You do know that the submissive has all the power."

"Come on Mr. Grey, let's call a spade a spade. That is a load of bullshit."

"Ana, you can't do a damn thing to a sub unless she wants you to," Christian argued.

"Tell me something." He sat up ready for her. "If a sub did something you didn't like, something you'd expressly told her several times not to do it naturally requires punishment." He nods in agreement. "But then as you are about to punish her she refuses, in fact, she does this a fair few times. Tell me how long will she stay your sub for?" Fuck if she didn't have him there.

"Not long," I mumbled.

"Tell me again how the submissive has all the power when no will mean she will no longer be your submissive, and I doubt it applies to just you." She took a sip of her wine. "From what I understand a sub that safewords a lot isn't very popular."

"Okay, you will never be a submissive how about a Dom." Her smile was quite telling. "Miss Steele, the Domme." He teased.

"It sounds like fun, but I didn't get turned on at the club." That had Christian's eyes popping out again.

"You felt nothing… not even a flutter?" he looked agog.

"How do you feel about BDSM now?"

"How do you answer every question with a question and yet it's the answer. But you are right… my last sub turned up on the Friday night as expected for the first time. Before we ventured into the playroom, I knew I just wasn't feeling it. I actually found myself thinking about an acquisition I could be working on. I can be single-minded if I want to be and planning my sessions was what usually occupied my mind before I even changed into my jeans. But that night I felt more distracted than ever before, it had been happening for some time and I thought a change of sub would do it but alas it was not to be. I gave myself half an hour in the room and still I felt nothing not a cell in my body reacted. I called it a night and told her I would no longer be needing her services. That was eighteen months ago."

"Why do you think that is?" He shrugged as he didn't have an answer, none he could articulate just yet.

"Good morning Christian," José called from Andrea desk loud enough to wake the dead.

"Good morn… morning José." Christian was shocked to see Ana carrying camera equipment. He recognized her even though her trademark locks and face was hidden underneath the baseball cap.

"This is my assistant." Jose introduced flippantly. Ana bit her lip to stop from laughing. _We need to talk about that lip biting._

"We have the conference room ready for you," Christian said absentmindedly. "Andrea please show our guest to the conference room. I will be with you in a minute.

He picked up his phone and dialed her number. "What the fuck Ana?"

"Well hello to you too." She remarked sarcastically.

"How the hell am I suppose to concentrate with you in there, and did you have to wear those jeans." He had commented on how spectacular her ass looked in them over the weekend.

"Well yes, I was told my ass looks good in them."

"Good." He Scoffed. "That is the understatement of the century. For fuck sake Ana I'm already getting hard."

"After this morning, not forgetting the weekend." She purred earning a growl from him.

"Shit is not helping." He moaned. He didn't want to think about this weekend with her. They had the apartment to themselves as José had gone to his penthouse to take advantage of his wine collection as he found out this morning. Not that he cared, particularly since he and Ana took advantage of his absence and christened Ana's apartment. Next weekend it would be the penthouse.

"Get off the phone and set up the camera." He heard José bark in the background.

"Now he's just taking the piss." Ana snarled much to his amusement.

He lost count of the number of times José had barked at him to look into the camera. Elena fucking Lincoln walked in just as José was in the midst of his barking sessions as Christian's attention kept drifting to Ana. "Christian for the love of all that is holy will you pay attention." He did his best not to panic after all Ana had no knowledge of the woman standing there.

Elena Lincoln stood in the back watching the interaction between Christian and the photographer. "Sorry José." He all but purred wanting to fuck with Elena. He was pissed about the PI, but the upside was he was going to teach her lesson for violating his privacy. She should have respected his wishes to keep Ana private, instead of going behind his back and now jumping to conclusions.

"You are lucky I find you so incredibly attractive." José returned having noticed Elena in the corner.

"Sorry, where is the bathroom," Ana asked walking up to Taylor. Christian quickly nodded giving Taylor the go ahead to escort her.

"This way Miss." He quickly leads her out and across the reception area to Christian's office. "Through there." He pointed to Christian's private bathroom.

"I don't need the bathroom," Ana growled. "That woman needs to go." She added as she paced his office paying little attention to it.

"I agree," Taylor answered.

"From what I got from José, Christian's PA doesn't like her either."

"No, she doesn't. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone in this building that does." Taylor growled.

"So when it comes to Christian's schedule. We can count on her to help us out." Taylor smiled for the first time since Ana had known him.

"You want to keep her away."

"Quite the contrary." She chuckled.

"Why the fuck do you want to give her more access to him." Taylor damn near barked.

"Why did you let her up Thursday evening?" Ana countered. He had… just to watch the boss effectively kick her out. It took him a second, but he got it.

"You want her to think she has an appointment only turn up and find she doesn't actually have one. Mr. Grey has already made it clear twice that she needs to book an appointment, and here she is again without one while you are here." Taylor liked this. They knew Christian was not going to be happy, as far as he was concerned Ana didn't know who Elena was and was desperate to keep it that way.

"Now imagine a fourth time with me here again, but this time knowing I'm the girlfriend. Christian invited me to meet his family this weekend where Elena is going to learn of her mistake."

"How can you be sure she will turn up?"

"José will take care of that." Taylor nodded with a smile.

"Mr. Grey's schedule is full this week, except Thursday evening."

"I've got that covered." Ana quickly jumped in.

Taylor checked his phone. "His next available date is next Wednesday just after his lunch hour."

"Would you have Andrea onboard by then."

"I will have her onboard by the end of the day," Taylor replied with a smile.

"Desperate people do desperate things," Taylor smiled in agreement. Step one to taking the bitch down. They walked out of Christian's office to find him yelling at Elena. "I'm not going to tell you again to book a fucking appointment."

"Christian I need a minute of your time." She kept at it.

"A minute I don't have if haven't noticed. Book an appointment."

"I doubt the photographer has to book one." She retorted.

"None of your fucking business." He growled giving credence to her suspicions. Ana walked past the commotion with little regard for Elena, as much as she wanted to drag the woman by her hair before kicking the shit out of her she couldn't. There is a time and place for everything and the pedophile's time was coming.


	6. Chapter 6

Christian stormed into his office slamming the door in his wake. He knew there was no way he could keep the secret of who Elena was forever, but he hoped over time he could get Ana to understand. That wasn't made easy by Elena's constant intrusion into his life desperate to learn… Fuck, how was he going to explain what happened with Elena at the elevator? Omitting the fact that she was the woman who introduced him to BDSM was still a lie. "Sir." Andrea's voice came over the intercom. "The photographer is waiting for you." _Shit here goes nothing._

"Send him in." José strolled into his office with Ana in his wake.

"Hey, baby." He purred grabbing her around the waist. She pulled his head down for a kiss while he groped her ass.

"Honestly, you two do not expect me to stand here and watch this." They slowly pulled apart before turning their attention to José.

"I just came to say goodbye, I have to get to work." Ana planted a quick kiss on his jaw before leaving.

"Will I see you tonight?" Christian asked as she opened the door.

"I will call you, I'm not sure what time I will make it home." She said with a smile. Ana had no intention of asking about the commotion in front of the elevator. She knew Christian wouldn't risk lying to her and will therefore, reveal who Elena is and effectively spoiling her plans. The first part of her plan would take place at his parents, and the success of that plan hinged on Christian still under the assumption of her not knowing whom Elena was. Sooner or later Christian will reveal Elena true identity, she hoped by then the damage would be done.

* * *

None of the applicants for the copy editors position was remotely qualified for the job. Hell, at this point she will take someone over qualified. This wasn't her job for fuck sake, but daddy dearest had been pushing her to take on more responsibilities. Fuck, what a waste of time, time she could be spending with Christian. "You must be thinking about me." That deep timbre in his voice rolled over her like his tongue did over her clit.

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

"The way every cell clenched, you must be thinking… you better be, or I'm going to be pissed." She rolled her eyes at him. His eyes darken turning into slits. _Hmm, he didn't like that._

"Come in." He did shutting the door behind her. She watched him as he took his suit jacket off, yanked his tie off his neck before taking a seat. "Comfortable?" She teased.

He kicked his shoes and socks off. "I am now." She promptly rolled her eyes again. The dark eyes were back and this time it was accompanied by a low menacing growl. If José were in the room, he'd tell her to back off, which she would ignore and push the situation or the person until they snapped.

"What are you doing?" He didn't quite succeed in hiding the anger in his voice.

"Trying to find a new copy editor, more like three but so far no luck." She answered ignoring his tone; frankly, she was looking for another opportunity to roll her eyes. He couldn't punish her so she wondered how he was going to deal with it.

"Why are you doing it, don't you have a human resources department?"

"My dad is trying to get me more involved in the company. I'm doing a little of everything at the moment." She rolled her eyes again, this time, it had nothing to do with Christian.

"Roll your eyes again and the fact that I no longer practice BDSM will promptly be forgotten."

"We wouldn't be here if you still practiced BDSM." She countered with a smug smile.

"I gathered as much when you told me it did nothing for you." Strangely he felt a little perturbed by her confession and didn't know why.

"I brought dinner." He said changing the subject.

"I gathered as much when I saw the bag with the Mile High Club logo." She countered with a giggle, which earned her an eye roll. "When did eye rolling become a pet peeve of yours?" she asked. He froze for a nanosecond, but it was long enough for Ana's trained eye to catch it. This wasn't the first time she'd caught him rolling his eyes, but she paid no attention to it until it became clear a few minutes ago that he had an issue with it.

"I don't know, never really thought about it." He was lying, and she knew it. It wasn't his issue, it was the pedophiles' and it had clearly been forced onto him. She wondered what other issues of her's he'd adopted. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you roll your eyes, and yet you have a problem when others do. You do it every time José flirts with you." He hadn't noticed.

"Duck, okay?" He asked changing the subject.

"Oh yes, perfect." She purred wondering how long it was going to take before Christian noticed that she dropped subjects like hot coal.

* * *

"Where do you think you are going?" Christian growls as Ana tries to get away from his ministrations. He pulls her down pinning her with his forearm. He wraps his lips around Ana's clit and sucks hard; he was unrelenting, unyielding as he took what he wanted from her. Ana's back arched, her mouth wide open, every inch of her quaking as she came on his tongue. He lapped up every ounce of Ana's juices. He crawls back over her, his lips crashing against hers, her moans giving his tongue access to hers. Without warning, he drives into her in one quick thrust and rolls his hips for good measure. "Oh, Fuck." She whimpers as he starts to drive into her, his pace is relentless.

"Lift your legs… up… my back." He groans feeling himself sink deeper into her. "That's it." He growls picking up the pace.

Her eyes bore into his as his cock drives her to the point of no return, Christian does not look away as he drives his cock into her over and over again. _I can't lose her, come hell or high water I can't lose her._

"Christian, I'm … cuming." She screamed detonating all over his cock. He drove into her hard and fast prolonging her release as he chased his own.

"Ana, oh fuck… Ana." He growled as he emptied himself into her. "Fuck." he groaned as he rolled off her.

"I've got a meeting in New York." Christian sat up looking for his boxers. "I should be back Friday at the latest." She added.

"When do you leave?" He asked less than pleased with this sudden meeting.

"Wednesday morning, another thing my father dropped on me. I read his email an hour before you showed." She leaned in and kissed his bicep.

"You are his only child, and he started this for you so it makes sense that he would want you to get more involved in running the business." Christian understood where Ray was coming from even if he didn't like Ana leaving town.

"You could always come with me." She straddled his thigh as her fingers went to work stroking his cock. "I'd love to go back to New York with you. That city means so much more with you there and a visit to our favorite club…" He groaned deeply cutting her off.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" Anybody else and she'd make a joke about The Graduate.

"Is it working?" She moaned as she slowly sunk down on his cock. "Fuck…" she hissed slowly grinding on him. "So… New York." Of course, he was going with her, but right now he was enjoying her very successful attempt at getting her way to answer. "Answer me." With that, the bounce started.

"I'm still… fuck, thinking." He groaned. With his back against her couch, gripped her hips pushing her down on him while he thrusts upwards into her.

* * *

As desperate as she was, Elena knew it was time to back off, pushing for information was getting her nowhere. She knew what she needed to know; she would wait patiently for the rest. She heard the photographer talk about meeting Christian's family this weekend. Elena was going to be at the Grey's this Sunday for family lunch if it was the last thing she did.

"That boy certainly has friends in high places." Franco's purr brought Elena to the here and now.

"I'm so… what!"

"José… I didn't know he knew Grey." Franco commented pointing towards the pictures on Elena's computer screen.

"You know him." Elena sat up.

"Oh yes." Franco's eyes glazed over. Elena knew what that look meant. "We met Friday night and boy…" Elena didn't hear the rest she just smiled triumphantly.

Christian's knew coping mechanism was cheating on him. If the higher powers weren't on her side, she didn't know what was, but fuck was she grateful.

She still had to be patient play this well, in fact, come Thursday she will say nothing about the cheating boyfriend.

Thursday afternoon behind her desk she thought about how the evening was going to play. She will use it to apologize for her behavior, feign great worry for him and his behavior over the last few months since she didn't know what was going on. She was going to be understanding, say she approved… whatever made him happy. Fuck if she was going to reveal that José was cheating on him that would be reserved for Sunday when his entire family was there. She was well aware that Franco was meeting José again, and she had encouraged him to take pictures so as to meet the new man he was clearly smitten with. She will send Isaac along for good measure. Christian was going to come back to her if it was the last thing she did. She was shutting down her computer when an email from GEH came through. Elena tossed her phone on the desk and screamed the place down; the son of a bitch had canceled. A fucking generic email from GEH informing her that Mr. Grey was not available until Monday. She looked at her watch and realized she still had time to call Andrea or that useless one, Olivia, but the moment the phone started ringing, she hanged up. _No, I will wait for Sunday... it will be the showdown of all showdown._

But then a thought occurred to her, she needed to make sure she had Christian's ear after she revealed what she knew, she needed to reassert her influence. She picked up her phone and dialed again.

"Good afternoon…"

"This is Mrs. Lincoln, I need an appointment with Christian first thing Monday morning." She barked.

"Please hold." She was glad she got Olivia she could bully that one into giving her an appointment when she wanted. Andrea on the other hand, had the tenacity of an ice queen, one that rivaled her own and not easily manipulated. "I'm afraid the next available appointment is Wednesday after…"

"I'm sure you heard me when I said I needed an appointment for Mon…"

"I did Mrs. Lincoln, but unless you can somehow conjure up more hours in the day, I'm afraid the only available date is Wednesday afternoon." When did is girl grow teeth.

Olivia had witnessed Christian Grey throw the bitch out twice. Clearly, she was no longer held in such high regard, and she wasn't about to kowtow to the bitch anymore. "Very well… Wednesday afternoon it is." Elena conceded through gritted teeth. By Wednesday evening Olivia will soon know where her place is.

* * *

He woke up to find Ana's head on his no go area, the temptation to push her off was strong, but he took a deep breath and another to just keep calm. It was Ana, she had no desire to hurt him… if anything she had brought him alive so much so he was behind on work and a number of meetings. Ana having a day and a half of meetings had given him the opportunity to catch up. He conducted a number of video conference calls in her absence. The only meeting he had left was his weekly meetings with Elena but that wasn't all that important. He had an entire department dedicated to looking at numbers. He would find someone to look over Esclava's numbers it didn't have to him. If he was honest with himself, the only reason he met with her on a weekly basis was to discuss his subs or look over potential subs when he needed one, which was no longer a necessity. He worked enough as it was and didn't need to add unnecessary hours not when he had Ana.

He had forgotten about her head on his chest till she moved, he tensed for a split second, although that was more down to him trying to not wake her as she had a long day and night. "I'm already up so you can breathe." She teased her voice tinged with sleep.

"Go back to sleep." She lifted her head off his chest to look at him but then realized where her head was and tried to move further away. "I'm all right, go back to sleep." He kissed her forehead before guiding her head back onto his chest. He had procrastinated long enough when it came to dealing with his issues. If he didn't get over his phobia for her, he was never going to get over it. As much control as BDSM gave him, it had also made him less inclined to do anything about his problems. He'd spent a great deal of his life thinking he was a sadist; it took Flynn years to get him to believe otherwise. It was also the day he lost some interest in his former sexual lifestyle. He had yet to have that conversation with Ana, though she was one of the most level-headed women he had ever met he was still scared to reveal that part of his history.

"What are you thinking about?" She yawned. "Your heart rate just picked up."

"Why don't we stay an extra night? Have dinner at some fancy restaurant tonight then head to the club." He suggested ignoring her earlier comment.

"That is not why your heart rate picked up." She challenged. Again he ignored her trying to roll them on her back. "Why do you want me on my back?" The question threw him.

"Well… I was going to fuck you senseless." _More like distract you._

"Except you are not… not really. Yeah, you go fast and somewhat hard, but it's not really fucking. It's making love, there is an inherent tenderness every time we have sex, which might I add is always in one of two positions, either me on top or you on top in good old missionary position. See, none of it would be an issue if I didn't know you were holding back. It became very apparent in my office while we were on the floor that even then you couldn't let yourself truly let go. You start off with an unrelenting need, it's obvious from the way you play with my breast and eat my pussy, but the moment you penetrate me… in my office, you gripped my waist, and I thought… finally, but alas it wasn't to be. I watched you reign yourself in even though you were desperate to let yourself go, you didn't. Do you need my permission? If so you have it, you have my permission to bend me over and fuck me within an inch of my life." Before he could respond Papa Was A Rolling Stone blared from her phone. She rolled off him and answered it. "Hey, dad…" With a wink, she sauntered out of the bedroom in all her naked glory.

The need to tie up a girl, punish her, see her ass cheeks red from the bite of the belt or cane had long left him, but God help him he wanted to take Ana hard and fast with none of the tenderness she had caught onto. He wanted to render her useless with delirium from fucking her. She was right, he had been holding back. He fought the urge to be rough, fought the primal need to fuck her senseless without thought, and it turned out she wanted it. She wanted him to be rough, fuck her within an inch of her life. The question was why had he been holding back, what was he afraid off. Their relationship wasn't solely based on sex as he had in the past. It was evident his need for her extended beyond the bedroom. They could sit and talk for hours about nothing in particular, he loved waking up to find her wrapped him like a vine or him her.

She wasn't a sub… he quickly realized that was his problem; he feared he would treat like a sub, but no sub ever slept with him. He couldn't tell you where any of them lived, about their family and friends nor did he abandon days of work to be with one or accompany them on their business trip. He certainly didn't sit in his apartment anxiously waiting for them to come back from their meeting just so he could wrap his arms around them. _She isn't a sub._

* * *

AN: Thank you for the reviews, follows, favorites. The response to this story has been incredible. The next chapter is my favorite; the result of the conversation regarding their sex life and few other things will do one hell of a number on Elena's head. C.J.


	7. Chapter 7

"Elliot stop teasing us and just tell us." Mia groaned.

"Where is the fun in that?" He asked with a mischievous grin.

"Well, is it a man or a woman?" Grace asked exasperated.

"The question to ask is… are they with Christian for who he is or his money." Elena added her two cents. Grace saw the very moment Carrick sat up straight. He had that look in his eyes, ready to cross-examine whoever walked through the door with their son.

"Christian is old enough and intelligent enough to know if someone is simply after his money. My son is not stupid." Grace shot Carrick a warning glare.

"The boy has never been in a relationship." Carrick defended.

"Not that we know off," Mia added.

"Mia does have a point," Elliot added. The front door opened, and everyone sat up. Mia was just about ready to bolt off the couch when Carrick's gentle hand on her shoulder kept her in her seat with a pout.

Grace couldn't believe her eyes when Christian and his girlfriend walked into the living room. "Ana?" Grace damn near squealed with a smile that could light up any dark room. Ana shot a surreptitious glance Elena's way to find her looking utterly confused. _You'll put it together in a minute._

"Hello Grace, Carrick." Carrick was up on his feet mirroring his wife's smile.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Ana Steele." Carrick laughs crushing her into a hug. His eye's catches Christian and the boy does not look happy. "You didn't tell him did you," Carrick whispered.

"Why would I, and miss out on the Christian Grey death glare?" She turned her smile on him, and his glare turned into a pout. "Or that pout for that matter." She leaned into him kissing his jaw.

"We will talk about this later." He growled in her ear.

"Carrick, I was under the impression you were going fishing with dad this weekend," Ana asked.

"Noo… there is only so much fishing a man can do on a weekend." He sounded about as convincing a toddler caught with their hands in the cookie jar and yet claim they weren't trying to steal a cookie.

"Uh huh." She giggled.

"How do you know Ana?" Christian asked.

"Ray is a client?" Carrick answered.

"Of course, you represent Raymond Steele. I can't believe I forgot that." He groaned.

"You were too busy with other things." Elliot chortled in his usual manner.

Christian ignored him turning his attention to Ana. "Baby, see the one bouncing impatiently over there? That would be Mia." She found herself in another crushing hug. "And the lump of skin and bone over there is Elliot." And bone crushing number four soon followed from Elliot. She didn't miss the fact that Christian didn't introduce Elena and avoided looking her way.

"Hi, you are the first girl he's ever brought home… seen with for that matter." Mia rattled her excitement too much to contain.

"He told me; apparently, the women before me were just sex buddies." She pretended to whisper.

"Anaaa." Christian groaned though if it stopped the gay and virgin jokes, he would be happy. Little knowing the comment was mostly for Elena's benefit not that Elena had grasped the implication of the comment.

"Shit, bro…"

"Elliot," Grace warned.

"All this time I thought he was a virgin, and I was wrong, very wrong. How many?" He couldn't help himself.

"A hell of a lot less than you." Christian countered.

"Hey." He covered Kate's ears much to everyone's amusement.

"Elliot, I doubt there isn't a woman in Seattle aware of your reputation." Kate retorted though her attention was on Ana. She missed her more than she could express and hoped she would get a chance to talk to her today.

"Mom, how do you know Ana?" Elliot asked.

"We met at one of your dad's work functions. She looked positively bored to be there." She smiled serenely at Ana.

"In my defense, I was fifteen and didn't have a clue as to what was going on."

"Most fifteen-year-olds wouldn't, they are busy trying to navigate the perils of high school," Grace added. Christian shifted in his seat feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"How did you two meet?" Elena finally spoke moving the subject of conversation away from the perils of fifteen-year-olds. She had gone through a myriad of emotions from shocked to surprise to perplexed and to the one emotion that started taking root months ago… fear. It had now taken residence in every fiber of her being. She expected to see José with Christian; she had laid the foundation of doubt in Carrick's mind as to the intentions of the young man she expected. She had been poised to struck the moment everyone got comfortable with drinks in hand. She thought she had the upper hand, but clearly, she had been wrong. She felt herself unraveling and struggled to pull herself together as everyone around talked animatedly with each other. Grace and Carrick knew the young lady and her father was Carrick's client, Carrick's client weren't the strapped for cash type.

"Well, we met in New York. Kate and I had a falling out, and I walked away. It turns out this one here saw me on the monitors from the office he was hiding in…" That earned a groan from Christian.

"I wasn't hiding." He defended poorly.

"Want to try that again." Elliot countered.

"Okay, I was hiding when I watched as she and Kate stepped out the cab and my world felt complete. I haven't seen anything of such beauty and grace. I chased her on the night that had more people out and about than you can imagine. We ended up in another club. The next morning I woke up, and she was gone."

"As stupid decisions go… that one took the cake." She rubbed her hand on his thigh innocently, though what Christian was feeling was anything but innocent.

"Then after five months of hopelessly searching for her… Elliot finally got the story out of me and took to searching for Kate without saying anything to me. He remembered Kate and Ana together that night."

"You found her." This was Mia's idea of a fairytale, and she was enraptured.

"Yeah, I did." He said proudly.

Elena's fear gripped her till she struggled to breathe. Christian had looked calm and in control for seven months, seven fucking months. The entire time he didn't know if he would ever find her… and now there she was in his arms. The implication was too great to contemplate in front of everyone.

"Mom, how long till lunch is ready?" He asked.

"Another thirty to forty minutes dear." She beamed a smile at him.

"Excellent, I can show you around." He turned his attention to Ana taking her hand.

"He's showing her something alright just not around." Elliot teased when they were out of earshot.

"Elliot," Carrick warned though his smile was hard to conceal. "Boy did good, he couldn't have found himself a more perfect girl," Carrick said proudly.

Elena, on the other hand, felt sick to her stomach. "Will you excuse me." She said stumbling her way to the bathroom. She locked the door and tried to breathe bracing herself against the vanity. "This cannot be happening." Thinking she would be back in her clutches by the end of the day to now knowing she had slowly been losing him to something that was just a memory for months was deeply unsettling. How could she compete with that, the woman he saw as perfection, there was a time he looked at her with something akin to love and in fear, she shut it down in the most cruelest of ways. Now he was in love with another woman, a possibility she never saw coming because she had drilled into his head the notion that love was for fools. As much as she hated to admit it, Ana was a beautiful girl and Christian's type.

* * *

"Are these trophies from rowing?" Ana asked awed by his sporting achievements. "This is impressive." She added.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew my parents?" His tone sent a delicious chill down her spine.

"I like to catch people off guard." She admitted honestly.

"You like to catch people off guard." His voice was soft yet imposing. He stalked towards her slowly. "There is a certain deviousness about you." He clutched the back of her neck, his other arm holding her to him. She couldn't move, not that she wanted to.

"You are a devious little thing. You have been testing me for some time now, pushing to see how far I would go." He snarled. "You want to see how far I can go?" he licked the shell of her ear, and her already wet panties became thoroughly soaked. He slammed his mouth onto hers forcing his tongue into her mouth. He dominated the kiss, possessed her as he held her head in the way where he could control every aspect of the kiss. He released her abruptly leaving her unsteady on her feet and gasping for breath.

He picked up a cushion on the sofa bed and dropped it at her feet. Without a word he undid his zipper and pulled his cock out. Ana dropped to her knees and took his cock into her mouth. He threaded his fingers through her hair but stopped himself from fucking her mouth.

"Christian." She implored him with just his name and a look.

"No hands." He growled holding her still and started to pump his hips. He had to stop holding back for fear she would she his actions as something else. _Be yourself for fuck sake._

He hit the back of her throat every single time he pumped back in, as blowjobs went this was the best he'd ever had by a landslide. "Fuck." The feel of her mouth was exquisite; her tongue massaged his cock at every stroke. He shut his eyes taking in every feeling he was getting from this, he could feel his balls tightening up, he kept fucking her mouth till the very last moment and held his cock at the back of her throat and pumped his seed violently down her throat. She swallowed every drop rubbing her thighs together for some much-needed friction. _How is he still so hard?_

He helped her up and promptly turned her around bending her over the sofa bed, ripped her panties off and slammed into her. She didn't get a chance to get acclimatized to his cock when he started pounding into her. Each time he drove into Ana she felt ripples of pleasure surge through her. One hand held onto her shoulders, the other held her waist as he pumped his cock over and over again at an extreme pace. This wasn't just relentless it was hard, and it was fucking hedonistic. Ana felt her walls tightening around his cock, but it made no difference to the rate at with which he pounded her pussy. Ana's knees went from under her, her head dropped onto the cushions, and her body gave up on her as she screamed through her orgasm. Christian maneuvered Ana body onto the bed and straddled her thighs still stroking his cock in and out of her. He leaned forward bracing his forearms on her back as he started grinding into Ana. Her moaning and whimpering urged him on. He kept up the relentless grind, up and down, side to side and whichever direction he could think off.

"Is this what you wanted?" he growled.

"Yes… god… yes, fuck me... fuck me harder." Her first orgasm never abated keeping her on the edge. He knew she was close to another orgasm and started pounding into her again. He felt her quivering pussy clamp around his cock, he was about to get milked like never before. She came like a freight train without brakes, his autonomic jerking was all the indication she needed to know he was close to emptying his load into her. He collapsed next to her exhaustion threatening to set in.

"Ana." He calls worriedly as she had yet to move or utter a word. "I didn't hurt you… did I?" This got her moving. She turned her head, and he was met with her satisfied beaming smile.

"Do you think we can lie here till someone comes and get us?" Ana barely managed to get the words out. "My pussy was still quivering," Christian growled.

"Don't talk like that." He warned as he forced himself up. He took her shredded panties of the floor and wiped her juice off his cock. He took a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and cleaned her up as best as he could. " I will be right back." He said bolting down the stairs before she could get her head to muster a response he was back with a wet handkerchief. She yelped when he touched the wet cloth to her thigh. "Sorry, the Sound is cold." She broke into a fit of giggles and as hard as she tried she couldn't stop.

"I can't believe you know my parents." He said in disbelief, as his brain could not think of anything else.

"I met your dad on the weekends he came to Montesano to go fishing and your mom at a couple of functions dad forced me to go to."

"Ana, Christian," Mia called from the bottom of the stairs. She knew what they were up to and had no desire to see anything she wasn't meant to see.

"We will be there in a minute," Christian called as Ana tried to compose herself.

* * *

"Come on, you two sit down." Grace beamed at the lovely couple. "Where are my manners? Ana, it is Elena Lincoln my best friend." Ana knew Elena was friends with Christian's family, so was surprised to find Elliot, Mia, and Carrick frown when she was introduced. _Interesting._

"Hello, nice to meet you." She said paying more attention to Christian, who looked damn right uncomfortable.

"You too." She was surprised to find that Elena was genuine in her greeting.

Elena needed to get close and to do that she was determined to play nice to get there. It was the only way to undermine this relationship… from the inside.

"Christian, get up." He looked worried for a moment. "Get up." This time, he did. She walked behind him and pulled off his jacket and hung it behind his chair. "Now loosen up a bit you are not at GEH."

"About time," Elliot mumbled.

Amen." Mia added.

"Thank you, Ana," Grace added. Christian just chuckled. Before sitting down, Ana squeezed Kate's shoulder with a small smile. She didn't expect it, therefore didn't have time to catch the small groan caused by the surprisingly pleasant pain that left her as she sat down. Christian looked smug as fuck. Elliot and Kate just smirked their way, Elena looked sick to her stomach. Her last hope was just shredded and trampled on. Christian wasn't forcing himself into a role that would soon shatter. No, the man despite having no need for BDSM clearly still fucked like a man possessed. It was evident when they walked back that they had been having sex. She had been under the false impression it was slow, loving sex, the kind of sex that would never sustain Christian, not in the long run. It wasn't the case; you don't wince when you sit down… not after that slow crap. No, he fucked that girl just the way he loved to fuck, hard and raw. This was not a façade; this was Christian Grey in every sense of the word. He was her Christian and though it had been building she never truly expected him to be gone, to be someone else's. She could barely get through the goat cheese salad in front of her.

"Wait, you the were the one who thought Christian was dating my friend José." Ana blurted out.

"Wait, what." Elliot's boomed.

"Yeah, José told me; apparently, you showed up twice at GEH thinking Christian was gay. I saw you the second time during the photo shoot. You weren't happy about it." She added.

"I just heard a couple of rumors so I thought I ask him about it and in my defense he was flirting with Christian." She laughed.

"José is an outrageous flirt and with a man like Christian… there will be no stopping him." Kate told the room.

"Rumors from whom." He glared at her. "You wouldn't happen to have someone following me?" Though his tone sounded playful, she knew it was anything but.

"Would you have had an issue if he was gay? Is that why you were making comments about Christian's money earlier because you thought he was coming here with José. I happen to have met José a few times during my fishing trips with Ray and José Snr. That boy is a lot of things, but a gold-digger is not one of them." Carrick defended.

Elena didn't know what to say; admitting she thought José was cheating would have Christian wondering why she said nothing till now. She could have called and left a message. She knew him well enough to know he checked his messages on a daily basis.

"Anyway, how is José?" Carrick asked.

"Fishing this weekend with dad." She smiled at Carrick's forlorn expression.

"Does Ray know you two are dating?" Christian's turned his glare off Elena and smiled at Ana.

"He knows I'm dating, he doesn't know it's Christian."

"Why not?" He barked. "The man is always going on about you meeting someone like me." He added proudly.

"It's true," Carrick added his two cents with just as much pride.

"Where is the fun in that? If I told him I was dating you, he'd just smile and tell me to treat you well. Right now there are a lot of grunts and groans and reminders of his gun collection, it's just fabulous." She teased. "Anyway, you will most likely hear from him tomorrow because José can't keep a secret to save his life. Under dad's interrogation, he will sing like a Canary." She huffed.

"Nice to see someone is at least on my side. Wait a second did José know Carrick was my dad." He asked.

"No, he knows Carrick as Carrick, and that's about it. Believe me, you are about to get a whole lot of José when he finds out."

"We don't talk about work during fishing we just moan about everything else."

"I'm sure you do." Grace retorted.

"Darling, I do not moan about you. You are the best thing that ever happened to me." Carrick cooed although not all that convincing.

"How have they been married for so long?" Ana whispered.

"Yeah, you'd think he be better at lying considering he's a lawyer." He countered.

"Wait until you've been married for a few decades and see how successful you'll be lying to your partner," Carrick grumbled with his fork pointed towards them.

"You'll never lie to me, will you?" It sounded strangely like a warning in Christian's ear.

"Never."

"Good. I'd hate to cut something off while you are sleeping." Ana unconsciously patted his chest earning audible gasps from the table, most noticeably Elena.

"I'm working on it," Christian answered feeling a little ashamed. "Be patient with me. I'm really making an effort this time… I'm sorry it took me so long." He runs his fingers through his hair. Grace tried in vain to get rid of her tears. The grin Carrick had been sporting since Christian walked in just got wider.

"Whenever you are ready son." He mumbled past his emotionally constricted throat.

Ana's fingers played with the hairs on the nape of his neck; he smiled down at her before planting a kiss on her lip earning a whoop from Elliot.

As the conversation and laughter flowed around Elena, she desperately wanted to take leave. She did not recognize the Christian in front of her, gone was the cold brooding asshole and here sat a man content in himself and accepting his family's love. The thought left her cold, with love in his life he would no longer have room for her, her lack of belief in love. But she did love, she loved him, and now it was too late to express it.

When she recalled Ana having said she was there for the photo shoot, she realized Christian had known about the PI for some time and decided to make a fool of her. _Have I nailed the final nail into the coffin myself?_

Elena, I am going to have to cancel our meetings." He didn't want to say Thursday or weekly. He didn't want his mother to know he met with Elena every week and yet for a long time couldn't be bothered to come for Sunday lunch. "I have sent the Esclava files to the finance department, they will call and arrange a meeting to go over everything." She nodded though she expected this, she didn't think it would come so soon.

Grace had barely looked at her clearly upset with her with what she believed was homophobic attitude from Elena. Grace was on the board of directors for an LGBT charity that helped young people whose families had disowned them due to their sexual orientation.

"Where is the bathroom?" Ana whispered in Christian's ear.

"Up the stairs, the last door on the left." She excused herself and made her way upstairs. It had been glorious watching Elena shrink into her chair as her most prized possession pulled away from her. She walked out of the bathroom to find the bitch in black standing on the landing pretending to be busy on the phone.

* * *

AN: Next chapter Ana and Elena will finally talk. I had originally planned it for this chapter, but I wasn't happy with what I had so I posted this instead of keeping you waiting. C.J.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Christian's backstory is the same as the books so I don't see the point in rewriting it. C.J.

Ana couldn't help her smile just as she expected, Elena Lincoln waiting for her.

"So… you are the one responsible for the change in Christian." Her smile was about as condescending as it could get. Her restraint was gone and the plan to befriend Ana had been shot to hell as the lunch wore on. "You seem like a lovely girl… I'm saying this just to help you. Christian isn't the man you think he is, he is not the type of guy that does relationships. This is just a temporary thing; he will soon get bored he always does. He has needs you can't even begin to comprehend." She said with a smug smile. _Here come the questions._ Elena thought self-assured.

Though Christian had lost interest in the lifestyle, Elena hoped he would have kept his history a secret from her. After all girls like her were just too squeamish for the lifestyle. Fucking was one thing; the bite of the cane was an entirely different thing.

"Would that be the same lifestyle he lost interest in eighteen months ago?" Elena looked defeated for a split second before her commanding façade took over, but Ana missed nothing.

"Did he tell you why he loved beating brunettes with pale skin in the first place?" Elena looked smug as fuck.

Ana knew Christian was keeping something from her this was clearly it. Whatever his reason for beating pale brunettes she wasn't about to give Elena the satisfaction of having one over her. "You really are desperate aren't you?" she whispered. "After all, you've had him in your clutches since he was fifteen and all of a sudden he's no longer interested in the lifestyle you introduced him to and to add insult to injury, he's pushing you away." She added with a condescending smile of her own.

"He told you." Elena sneered.

"Yes, but not who the pedophile was. The way you've been behaving though made it rather obvious." She lied. "I'm fully aware there were women before me whose sole purpose was sex. We both know I am not one of them, and that is what has you so worried."

You have no idea of our lifestyle…"

"You mean your lifestyle." Ana countered. "Whether I understand it or not doesn't change the fact that you are a pedophile. You are the kind of person special prisons are built for. I do not see the likes of you as human beings, you are beneath the cockroaches and rats that dwell in the sewers." She snarled.

"I made him, saved him from…"

"Save that shtick for someone who gives a fuck."

"I will get him back, he always comes back to me. No matter how many brunettes he fucks he always comes back to me." Elena made a last desperate attempt at unsettling her.

"We both know he won't. I can smell the desperation coming off you like the air from a bloated body; it reeks to high heaven. You think he's pushing you away now you haven't seen anything yet. Imagine how he would feel when he finds out you just spilled the secrets he trusted you to keep." Without waiting for an answer, Ana smirked walking past her making her way back into the dining room.

Failing with the last roll of the dice Elena stormed out of the Grey's home knowing full well she had just fucked up. He had confided in her for over a decade and in one afternoon she had thrown away the trust he had in her.

* * *

Taylor chuckled when he saw an infuriated looking Elena storm to her car. She slammed the door and screeched out of there. He checked the signal from the bug planted on the car, and it was working correctly. There was no way she could get to Grey House or Escala without giving them several minutes notice. He had laughed when Gail had asked to be involved, even the threat of losing her job if Grey ever found out didn't deter her. He was sure Gail would be needed at some point in their plan to bring the bitch down. A few hours later the front door opened again, this time, the entire Grey clan stepped out, beaming smiles and all. The boss had been coming to Sunday lunch on a regular basis for quite some time, but today he looked relaxed, jacket draped lazily over his arm, sleeves rolled up, his arms wrapped around Miss. Steele as he threw his head back laughing at something his brother said. Elliot was a funny guy, hilarious, but the boss never saw it. Elena fucking Lincoln had his mind so warped he kept his family at a distance and missed out on treasured moments like this. He had been trying to get to know his family since New York, but today he looked like he had jumped over that final hurdle. Hell, he'd also had dinner with the family.

They had to make sure that when they were done with the bitch, she was well and truly done. He wasn't above setting her up for a crime. The bitch needed to go to jail for what she did to this family.

The boss and Miss. Steele wore identical smiles as they walked towards the car. He jumped out and opened the door for the happy couple. Ana shot him a smirk before getting in. "What are you smiling about?" Christian enquired.

"Nothing sir," Taylor replied his expression morphing back to its usual stoic façade.

"I'm happy, sue me," Christian grumbled as he knew Taylor was happy for him but as usual, the man never made a comment about his personal life.

"Deserved… very." He replied his stoic expression in place.

"Enough with the bromance lets go." Teased Ana.

* * *

Elena hurled her purse across the room with a primal scream. The mousy little wench had been turning Christian against her. Of course, all this started when he found her again. Come Wednesday she was going to open Christian's eyes to the manipulative and devious ways of that wench. She wouldn't have minded so much if the girl hadn't been trying to push her out of Christian's life. What if she told Grace and Carrick about her and Christian? Her legs went from under her as she runs through the implications in her head. She was who she was and had what she had because of her association with Grace and Christian. It wouldn't matter how Christian felt if Grace found out she'd be done. Christian would surely distance himself especially with that girl in Grace's corner. She needed to think, seriously think about her plan of action. She had severely underestimated and misread everything so far and if it continued she would be done sooner than she can blink.

* * *

"Christian." She warned.

"Baby, it's going to be a busy week for both of us. I don't know when next I will see you." He pleaded his hands firmly keeping her door open. He'd see her tomorrow, but she didn't need to know that. "Come on, you can ride me in the reverse cowgirl position so I can watch your ass bounce off my long thick cock." He wiggled his eyebrow for added effect.

"When you put it like that…" He smiled triumphantly. "I'm going to bed and will see you sometime this week, call me." He had made the mistake of taking his hand off the door. _Well… that's a first._

He begrudgingly walked to the bank of elevators stabbing the button as though it had wronged him. "Hey, big boy." She purred. He didn't hear her door open. She beckoned him in.

"I don't feel like coming in now." He grumbled crossing his impressive arms over his chest.

"Suit yourself." She proceeded to close the door.

" Wait, wait, wait, just joking." He bolted to her door.

"It turned out to be a lovely lunch, a bit long winded but lovely." Christian moaned.

"You loved every minute of it." Ana chuckled. _I did after Elena left. Why is she my only friend?_

"It's nights like these that I found myself thinking about you and what you'd do to me if…" he was behind her rubbing his erection between her ass cheeks. She leaned into him with a moan. He smiled lifting her dress over her head. She was naked under the dress. Her torn pantie was still in his pocket. He kissed down her spine lingering on the small of her back. He turned her around leading her to the bed while he planted butterfly kisses from one end of her collarbone to the other.

He settled on top of her and took her mouth in a slow passionate kiss, his tongue caressing every inch of her mouth, only stopping to draw breath. He kissed his way down her body avoiding the one place she wanted his lips the most.

"Christian." She whined much to his amusement.

"Patience baby, patience." He teased before running his tongue up the length of her pussy. She was soaking wet, and he languidly lapped up her juices. His tongue flicked over her clit and she damn near came off the bed. He kept at it stopping every time she was close to cuming.

Ana was on the verge of losing her mind if Christian carried on torturing her. "Christian please I need to cum." She pleaded. To her utmost annoyance, he sat up and pulled her onto his lap. She felt his cock rub against her pussy and the whimpering that left her had him chuckling. He lifted her off his thighs and slowly dropped her on his cock much to her satisfaction. He gripped her hips and slowly worked her up and down on his cock. "Oh God…" she cried knowing she was close to cuming and this time he let her. "Oh… fuck, oh fuck… Christian, shit." She mewled as he slowly rocked his hips.

"Yes… Ana" He hissed.

"I'm cuming, oh god I'm cuming." He had kept her on edge for so long every inch of her was vibrating, coiling up for the release. "Oh, oh." Was all she managed then the tremors took over. She quivered under him with the kind pleasure she didn't know existed. Christian pumped his seed into her feeling her pussy walls pulsate around his cock. If he'd ever made a bad comment about vanilla sex or lovemaking, he was apologizing furiously. Boy, had he being wrong or had he being wrong. He lay there staring at the ceiling trying to catch his breath. He wanted, fuck that, needed to spend every day with her.

"What are you doing tomorrow after work?" Christian asks.

"Ray and I are visiting my mother's grave." That got his attention.

"I'm sorry Ana. How did she die if you don't mind me asking?" he said softly.

"Before Ray plowed every cent he had in a failing publishing house we lived in Montesano. We were happy… at least Ray and I was. Turns out, mom wasn't and wanted life in the city. She met Stephen Morton and uprooted me from everything I knew, and we moved to Seattle." She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. "It was normal at first… nothing out of the ordinary. Carla wanted romance, and that was what he gave her. Romantic nights out, weekend trips away… and then one day they came back from one of their trips married… and then it all changed. Gone where the romantic meals, to Carla, who could barely cook trying to scrape a meal together from the mostly burnt pots and pans. It was quite comical, most of the time I ended up bailing her out. The weekends he would sit in front of the TV and watch one sporting event after another.

After they got married Carla always looked like she was in pain, she walked gingerly and most days couldn't sit down. One afternoon I came home early, something to do with the teachers having a meeting or attending a conference. I walked in to hear her screaming, I run up the stairs shouting for her. When she didn't come out, I started banging on her bedroom door. Eventually, she opened the door and… fuck she looked terrible... she was trembling and covered in sweat as she tried to convince me it was okay and I should go to my bedroom." She could feel Christian's body slowly coiling like a spring.

"Later that evening as we sat at the dining table eating he didn't take his eyes off me. He had… this triumphant smile on his face; it was as though my knowing what I was sure I knew opened me up…" the coil sprung Christian was up and pacing. "Christian this was a long time ago, it's already done it's over there is nothing you can do about it. He runs his fingers through his hair. "Come back to bed, being close to you is the only thing giving me the courage to talk about it.

"Sorry, Ana." He kissed her temple.

"The next morning I was on my way to school when Ray appeared out of nowhere and took me back to Montesano, mom had called him the night before to come and get me. He left me with José and his father and said he was going back for mom. By the time he got back to the house Morton had been so incensed to learn I was gone he beat Carla. Ray found her barely breathing body and called an ambulance. She never made it to the hospital. An arrest warrant was issued for Morton for her murder. The police found him a few days later off the highway in the same condition as Carla was found in. Carla's autopsy revealed cigarette burns that spelt out his name all over her back and chest and stomach and some between her thighs. As for bruises, I'm sure there were many, but in her state, no one could tell. There were a few linear fractures that had started to heal."

"Fuck, Ana." He groaned. Though his mother's story was no better, at least Ana had a father that cared and came for her before she ended up with cigarette burns.

"It turned out my mother wasn't the first. Morton was a wanted man in Nevada and New Mexico for assault on various women. He likes to hear them scream, and he did what he had to do get a good scream out of women while he fucked them. He was not the type to use implements. He'd put on a pair of leather gloves, and you knew it was time. My mother was the first one he killed."

"Something in my dad changed after we buried her. The weekend after her funeral Ray woke me up at the crack of dawn and told me to get dressed. It a pair of running shorts, a vest and a pair of running shoes. The backyard all of a sudden had a running track around it." Christian chuckled.

"I'm sure it didn't just appear."

"Christian I swear it wasn't there the day before." She protested.

"Sure." He teased.

"Well, he told me to start running and nothing else. He unfolded a picnic chair and sat down and watched me. The ass made me run for half an hour, bare in mind I was only fourteen and at that point, I always had an excuse to avoid any physical activity." He laughed at her indignant look.

"The following morning it was the same this time at least José's father knew his gay son would need to stand up for himself."

"Good call." Christian mumbles.

"Now, Monday morning when he woke me up I lost it, I went apeshit and refused to move from my bedroom."

"You've met him, a man of few words but when he spoke you listened. 'I would never bury another woman because a man dared lay a hand on her. I will not lose you because some weak excuse for a man sees a weak defenseless woman and thinks he can do as he pleases. By the time I'm through with you the man that dare lays a finger on you will rue the day he was born. My baby girl will become a force to be reckoned with physically and mentally.' That sent a chill down my spine that had me moving faster than ever." She shrugs. "Not a moan left my lips after that. It was just the running for a month and nothing else and then one morning, one weekend morning we drove to Seattle and went to Ihop. I was in heaven, should have known it wasn't going to be that straightforward. It turned out to be an exercise in observation, from the big things to the smallest of movements and even facial ticks. Then I was introduced to Dr. Caroline Shepard, who helped me deal with her death mentally. Hell, I couldn't get away from it when I went to college. By this point, he had money to hire someone to take over my training." Ana moved away from him and stared at the ceiling.

Christian didn't expect to hear what he heard. He had suspected her mom's story wasn't going to be peachy but that was brutal. His mother's life had been no better. "I don't know my sperm donor." He started. "My birth mother had no one and somewhere along the line became addicted to crack…" He runs his fingers along her flat stomach as he pours his heart out.

* * *

"It was evident she didn't want to argue about Elena." He says with a sigh as Flynn just stares at him with incredulity. _He can't be this stupid._

"Christian, just as I can't force you to see the reality of who Elena is. You can't force Ana to see her the way you do because believe it or not, accept it or not Elena Lincoln is a pedophile." He tries to protest. "Whether you wanted it or not, whether you believe she saved your life, hell if you saw God because of her. It doesn't change the fact that she is a pedophile. What she did was abhorrent and despicable and deep down you know it." Flynn spits out.

"I don't want to have to choose." He hated how pathetic he sounded.

"WHAT!" Flynn bellowed. "There is a choice. You believe there is a choice between Ana and Elena. Ana will not come around to the situation with Elena and rightly so. Your refusal to see Elena for what she is is simply a matter of you not wanting to accept you were again a victim and not only that allowed it to continue because you could justify it with your improved behavior." Flynn barks.

"I am not a fucking victim." He bit back.

"Spare me the attitude. You throwing a tantrum will not change what is fact and the sooner you accept it, the sooner you will see Elena for what she is. You always had the capacity to change, to stop fighting, to stop drinking. You simply chose the route that had instant reward. If someone had said for every day that you do not drink or fight you would be given a thousand dollars, believe me, you would have stopped."

"I doubt that very much." He scoffed at the notion that money would have changed anything.

Flynn ignored and carried on determined to drive his point home. "If you had met a girl at fifteen who was mature to enough to understand why she couldn't touch you Elena will never have gotten her hooks into you. Your problem was that you saw what happened to you at an age where you had no control as something to be ashamed of; you took on a shame that was never yours to carry and refused to talk about it. Even now getting you to talk about it is accompanied with a large dose of self-loathing and self-recrimination. Before you go, I've got a question for you to mull over. If what Elena did for you is such a great thing be honest with your family and defend her." He looked at Flynn as though the man had lost his mind. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Why won't you?"

"They won't understand."

"Are you sure?" Flynn pushed.

"I can't convince Ana, how the hell am I going to convince my family."

"Ana doesn't know Elena, your family does. You have that advantage." Christian didn't see it that way. Flynn looked at his watch, and Christian stood and left the office without so much as an acknowledgement.

That night, as he slept alone, he found himself wishing Ana was next to him softly snoring away. _Why do I need Elena Lincoln in my life? What exactly does she do for me?_


	9. Chapter 9

"Sir, you have a visitor."

"Visitor, what visitor." Christian's gruff voice came over the intercom earning a giggle from Ana. He knew that giggle well. His office door was yanked open, and there he stood looking pleasantly surprised.

"That would be me." She joked.

"Hey baby, I wasn't expecting… this is a surprise." he stuttered. "I called Taylor, and he checked with Andrea and found you had the next couple of hours free. I'm not disturbing yo…"

"Nonsense." He cut her off. "Come in, come in." He shot a grateful look at his PA.

"Well, you will never get this opportunity again, so I suggest you take a long lunch," Andrea said to a very sour looking Olivia. She needed her out of the building when Elena arrived as Olivia had unfortunately booked her in and noted it in the system.

"So he's into women," Olivia grumbled.

"Yes, brunettes by the look of things." Fuck if that didn't shut Olivia up. She yanked her bag and coat from the back of her chair before storming off. Andrea watched her with detached amusement. _They all think they have a chance with him._

"This is a surprise." He said again.

"Yeah, you keep saying." She giggled sucking on her milkshake

"I can't wait for the weekend. I thought we'd take my catamaran out on Saturday. We can invite José, Elliot, and Kate. Mia if she wants to come, I doubt she'd say no with you there." He offered though his eyes were glued to her lips around the straw.

"Sounds great but we have to invite Ethan, Kate's brother. He just moved to Seattle." Christian frowned.

"Kate's brother… he wouldn't happen to be gay." No straight men allowed around Ana as far as he was concerned.

"No, last I heard he was still straight." She chuckled.

"I don't like it." He grumbled.

"You don't like what." She turned her eyes on him. _I really should backtrack and shut up._

"Male friends, I don't trust them. I'd prefer if you two weren't friends." Ana waited expecting more to that sentence, but it never came.

"Is there nothing else you'd like to add to that sentence." She sneered, and he jerked back. She realized he really didn't see what he had said wrong.

"Your only friend is the woman who did all manners of things to you from the age of fifteen. You don't like my friendship with Ethan and would prefer if we weren't friends. That is what you just said." He swallowed thickly and shuffled away from her.

"From my experience, no straight guy just wants to be friends with a beautiful woman such as you. They will always want in your panties. I firmly believe men and women can't be friends." _I really should shut up._

"You are one hell of a hypocrite. Can you hear yourself? If we go by the shit you just spewed then should I be worried about your friendship with the pedophile?"

"No, Elena and I…" he stopped short when he realized he had no justification. He paused and thought about it for a second and realized she was right. _Fuck she is right._

"I don't trust men around you, but I trust you, and that is enough for me even if you were friend with a hundred men."

"That's more like it." She growled. He made a rather blatant attempt at shuffling closer to her earning a giggle from her. _Crisis averted._ Again, he found himself questioning his friendship with Elena.

"Sir, there is an issue in finance, and you are urgently needed." Andrea sounded surprisingly distressed. He groaned as he was extremely reluctant to move his body too far from Ana. He had desperately missed her the last two and a half days and was pleasantly surprised when she turned up with lunch.

"Give me a second." He growled adjusting his erection much to Ana's entertainment. "It's your fault." He whined still trying to hide his erection as best as he could.

He sauntered out of the office. "This better be good." He moaned walking over to the elevator.

"Sir," Andrea whispered. He turned about to ask why she was whispering. "Mrs. Lincoln is on her way up, and she doesn't have an appointment." He looked at her wide-eyed before anger overtook his features. "Private elevator." She added.

He stood in front of it positively vibrating with anger his erection a thing of the past. The moment the doors opened, he pushed her back and entered hitting the button for the underground garage. "I have an appointment." She said smugly.

"No. You. Don't." He barked in the safety of the elevator.

"Christian I booked an appointment with Olivia." He rolled his eyes. Olivia was known for her mistakes so she'd pretend to book an appointment and blame Olivia when in reality she never booked it.

"Okay, show me the confirmation email or text message sent to you twenty-four hours before the appointment as a reminder." He growled.

"No one sent me anything." She was getting angry knowing full well she had booked an appointment with that useless trollop. Christian hit the stop button just as the elevator reached the garage.

"Okay, show me your call log." This morning she realized she had erased her call log though she couldn't remember doing it.

"I deleted it." None of this was adding up. "This is her doing."

"WHO'S DOING?" Christian bellowed his frustration getting the better of him.

"That girlfriend of yours." He couldn't believe his ears.

"You are blaming Ana for this." His voiced his incredulity. "How is Ana at fault?"

"She made it clear she was going to do everything to keep you away from me. She is the only reason I all of a sudden need to book an appointment or the reason we can no longer meet on Thursdays. She is threatened by our friendship, and you are pandering to her and pushing your only friend aside. After everything we've been through."

"She doesn't approve of my friendship with the woman who introduced me to BDSM, and I haven't told her it was you. As far as she is concerned, you are a family friend. I was hoping with time she would come to understand what you did for me." The moment the words left his mouth an uneasy feeling settled in his gut. _What exactly did she do for me?_

"Really Christian, of course, she knows it's me. I know very well she doesn't approve and so what. I was here before she came." _Get rid of her and we will find you someone more appropriate._

"And how do you know that." _If Ana knew why hasn't she said anything._

"We talked on Sunday... I caught her coming out of the bathroom," Elena says nonchalantly little realizing she was digging her own grave.

"How exactly did the conversation go?" he snarled. Elena quickly realized her blunder. The little bitch had not told him about their conversation. She couldn't possibly give him the details of the conversation without making herself the villain. _That is what she is waiting for._ _She is waiting for me to dig my own grave, and fuck I almost did_.

"You are right she doesn't know… I just thought I'd force your hand." Christian nodded.

"You are no longer welcome at Grey House unless you book an appointment. Make any attempts to come here without one and you will be met by security."

"Christian…"

"No Elena. When did you become this pathetic… first, you hired a PI wasting months of my people's time trying to figure out who he was, who he was working for and what he wanted all because I wanted to keep something to myself. When did you get the idea I owed you an explanation for every move I make? If you know something about me, it's because I chose to confide in you. You don't tell what to do those are long gone." He seethed.

"Christian I was worried about you…" Her argument was weak, and she knew it. He looked happier than she had ever known him. Who worries about someone who was happy and content in his life for the first time? And that was Elena's problem Christian could not be happy, moreover content because that Christian had no room in his life for her. The elevator doors opened, and he pointed towards the car park without a word.

Ana watched the whole exchange with Taylor in his office and couldn't help her smile. "That was easier than I expected."

"What if he asks?" Taylor asked.

"He won't get the chance, I have a meeting I'm already late for, but if this evening goes according to plan he will ask and I will be honest with him. Knowing his so called friend betrayed his confidence would go a long way in severing what is left of that friendship." Ana said confidently. "How are things going on your end?"

"On track," Taylor answered.

"Excellent."

* * *

When Christian arrived home, he found José waiting for him with a glass of wine as usual and Gail laughing hysterically. "Oh, man candy… I am so sorry, but that man… when he wants something he gets it." José was rumbling.

"José, how about you take a deep breath and try to make sense." Christian teased. " I was subjected to Raymond Steele's brand of interrogation this weekend. Man candy I went fishing and it… was pure horror." _Jesus, the man needs to try theater._

"José, stop worrying I know Ray very well he's not going to shoot me." He placates.

"Man candy, I don't think you understand. Making a comment about a man like you dating his daughter and you actually giving it to his daughter are two different things." _Shit, when he puts it like that._ "I sold you out, and I will never forgive myself if Papa Steele harms a hair on your godlike features." Christian looked over at Gail, who had given up cleaning the kitchen and was holding onto the counter for dear life.

"José, I forgive you." He kept his features as impassive as possible.

"Oh, thank you." He drained the glass filled it and drained that too. "Well, I have a date with Franco, the pretend Italian. There's nothing Italian about him when you are giving it to him."

"That is way too much… wait, Franco, my hairdresser." Christian blurted out.

"Yeah, I believe it's his profession," José responded nonchalantly.

"How long have you two been dating?"

"We met Last Friday night after Ana kicked me out."

"Well, have a great evening." He said absentmindedly as José walked out.

"Do you know his boss?" José popped his head back through the double doors. "Franco mentioned she seemed interested in the two of us."

"She knows about you and Franco?" Christian asked surprised.

"Yeah, Franco mentioned her asking him to take pictures the next time we went out. That was Thursday… I believe or Friday. So do you know her?"

"Yeah I know her she's a family friend." He said with a shrug.

"Gail, glass." He quickly emptied what was left of the wine and found himself draining it.

"She turned up at the house thinking I had a boyfriend and worse said boyfriend was cheating. She was going to embarrass me in front of my family on Sunday, but then I turned up with Ana." Christian spouted in the kitchen at no one in particular. He now knew he had to tell Ana the one thing he'd kept from her before Elena did, and made it worse than it was. "With friends like her…" he grumbled on his way to his bedroom. Taylor high-fives Gail the moment the boss was out of sight.

"She is not going to let him go that easily. I fear people like her always have an ace up their sleeves." Gail was worried.

"I'm sure she does, but it will amount to jack all." Taylor knew Elena was on her way out; right now it was just a matter of one more nail in the coffin. Funny thing was Elena would most likely provide the nail herself.

* * *

"José let himself into the apartment and gave Ana a smile. "Done and dusted." He said with a smile. "The man had put it together before I left, he tried to hide it, but I saw it." José brags.

José had met Franco purely by accident on a night out. If he was honest with himself, the whole pretending to be Italian thing annoyed the hell out of him. That was until he found out who Franco worked for. The plan had simply being to get into Esclava and install a software Taylor gave him on the bitch's computer, but then her hiring a PI just made it so much better. Capturing pictures of José and Christian was just brilliant; her jumping to conclusions was damn priceless.

When Franco had mentioned the pictures of José and Christian on Elena's computer, it became clear Elena was under the impression José was cheating. The icing on the cake had been when Franco identified a man that asked to join them and kept taking pictures on his phone as Elena's toy boy. José knew the bitch was getting proof, and he gave her plenty. They planted the software on Elena's computer and bugged her office all the same when Franco in his eagerness to show off had opened the doors to Esclava after hours and left José in Elena's office. It had all being too easy.

"I hate manipulating him." Ana groaned.

"Would you rather the Botox bitch continue to do so for her own ends meet?" Jose asked.

"No… but…"

"There is no but. I don't know all the details, but I have seen enough of that woman to know she is bad news.

Elena had made Christian so reliant on her; Ana feared just pushing her out would not suffice. She had to open Christian's eyes to the type of woman she is and even then would he cut the cord or hold on for fear that… The doorbell brought her out of her musings.

"I will get it." José raced to the door knowing full well it was Christian.

"Hey." Christian greeted with a less than put together demeanor.

"Hey, man candy… Papa Steele is here so hmm… yeah, good luck." José stuttered making Christian's already nervous disposition worse.

"Thanks…"

"GREY." Ray bellowed.

"Mr. Steele… sir. How are you?" He felt like a teenager about to take the man's daughter to the prom. _Yeah, you are doing far worse to her than taking her to the prom._

"I'm good." Ray eyed him up for a beat his face breaking into a smile. "I can't tell you how happy I am to know you are dating my daughter. As much as I like you let me make something clear. If I ever find something remotely fishy about you, or you ever hurt my daughter, I will end you and no one will be none the wiser."

"I have the distinct feeling if I ever hurt her she'd end me before you get the chance, sir," Ray smiled knowingly.

"Indeed, now, cut the sir crap." He smiled. " Annie, I'm off." He shouted towards the living room.

"Okay, daddy." She gives her dad a hug.

"That was a lot less stressful than I expected." Christian chuckled humorlessly.

"You don't look… this can't just be about my father?" She had given him an opening, and he was going to take it.

"Let's sit down."

Ten minutes later Christian was still running his fingers through his hair interwoven with bouts of pacing, rubbing his face, rubbing his palms together, long heavy sighs and look of abject fear. _Wow, he really thinks I will leave him when I find out._

"I have a type…" he started. "Small Pale Brunettes." She kept quiet letting him talk. This moment was crucial. "I like them because they look like the crack whore. I always saw myself as a sadist… it didn't matter what my shrink said it was how I saw myself. I mean why else would I be punishing girls that reminded me of the crack whore. I was punishing them because I couldn't punish her for…" he couldn't look at her, he didn't want to see the hurt, the disappointment.

"I know." His head snapped up. "Well, I knew about your type, I knew there was a… not so nice reason behind it. I just didn't know it was this. Elena took pride in telling me about your needs that I could not fulfill and the fact that I was just another brunette in a long line of brunettes."

"Ana… why didn't you tell me… say anything." He was fuming. He'd take a belt to Elena if he knew it would cause her real pain, but knowing the bitch she'd enjoy it.

"Christian, I knew you had something to tell me. I was also aware that whatever it was you were struggling with it. It was not Elena fucking Lincoln's place to tell me anything. Whatever she told me, true or not I was not going to jump to conclusions until I heard it from you." She said softly.

"Thank you." Was all he said. Deep down he knew Elena had spoken to Ana as she said and now she knew why Ana had said nothing. Right now he couldn't love her more. _Holy shit, I love her. With every single cell in my body, I love her._

"Would I be correct in thinking you lost interest in the lifestyle when you finally realized your shrink was right all along, that you are not a sadist." She chuckled. "For someone so smart you can be stupid. Honestly, after the first few subs, anyone with the brain you are supposed to have would have realized that having subs only because they were punishing their dead mother was... well, pointless because punishing them didn't solve your issues it made them worse. You were not dealing with your issues you were just glossing over them with sex and pain. As lifestyles go, that was the wrong one for you. I mean what did it do for you? If it was about control, how exactly are you gaining control over someone who had already ceded control before they even walked into the room? In business, you exercise control, but then so does every CEO worth his salt. You may not want to hear this, but Elena did not help you, you didn't need BDSM, you didn't need control. Yes, you needed discipline and structure and an understanding fifteen-year-old girl who liked you enough to give you a hand job. I bet if you had confided in Elliot about how you were feeling, your raging hormones would not have gotten the better of you. Knowing him, he would have dragged you to some party where some girl would have been more than happy to drop down to her knees and sucked your cock." He chuckled.

"Yeah, he would have." He admitted. Knowing he took comfort in her touch, she runs her fingers through the hairs on the nape of his neck.

"I do not need nor want her in my life. I will be ending our relationship, business and personal. I will have to invite her to the penthouse when I have everything ready. She will likely draw unwanted attention in public so the pent…"

"I understand," Ana assured him. "What's your shrinks name?"

"Flynn. I will book an appointment." Christian whispered. He felt discombobulated and didn't understand why.

"Sometimes it takes a newcomer's words to see what others have been trying to tell us for a while. I'm sure the soliloquy I just spewed is not new to you but tone and voice are, and it helps to see things in a different light."

"After I told you about the crack whore I expected you to understand my association with Elena, but if anything you hated her more and I didn't get how you could not see just how much she helped me. I went to see Flynn and for the first time, he could not care less about being a doctor and behaving with decorum. He read me the riot act and still…" he rubbed his face furiously. "Now I know why you were both so angry. She did not help me; she fucked me up worse than before. I have been under her thumb for so long and was blind to it. It's over I am done with her." There it was the final push he needed.

* * *

Elena could not for the life of her fathom why Ana hadn't told Christian about their conversation. Why in god's name was she pretending she didn't know who Elena was. What was the plan? _I will worry about that later._ At this point she needed to give Christian time to cool down, she had kept her mouth mostly shut in the elevator because she couldn't afford to aggravate Christian any more than she already had. It wouldn't end well for her, the man owned a large percentage of Esclava and was responsible for her standing in Seattle's elite society.

Grace had yet to return a single phone call and getting him back on her side will get Grace on her side as well. Christian needed time, time to cool down about the PI fiasco. Time to also realize his little girlfriend will never understand what they had. Christian might be mad, but he still wanted their friendship that much was obvious from the conversation in the elevator.


	10. Chapter 10

Three weeks ago Kate was on cloud nine at the prospect of Ana and her talking again. After all, she had told Kate she'd call her and yet three weeks later nothing. Kate's happy mood had descended into a state of melancholy. Elliot was hoping he could get Christian to talk to Ana. "Hey, Olivia." Elliot winked. Thank fuck Andrea wasn't there, the woman didn't fall for his moves to get past her into his brother's office. Olivia, on the other hand, was susceptible to a bit of flirting. "Is he in?" he asked with a panty-dropping smile.

"He is." She practically melted as he sauntered into his office and stood in the doorway the sight before him a thing of beauty. His brother had his feet on Ana's lap as he typed away while she had a manuscript on his feet scribbling away, neither had noticed him.

"Hey bro." he finally found his voice.

"Hey." Christian looked up surprised. Ana noticed Elliot's nervous demeanor and decided to give the brothers a little room.

"I'm going to take a walk around the building give you two time to catch up." She planted a quick kiss on Christian's lip. "Elliot, good to see you." She gave him a hug before leaving.

She found herself smiling when Olivia leveled a dirty look at her. Frankly, the girl didn't factor on her list of problems. "Miss Steele, Mr. Grey asked me to show you around." _Perfect._

"Thank you, Taylor." She said as he called for the private elevator.

"It's been three weeks, three fucking weeks since he said he was ending things with her, and he has made no move to get rid of her." Ana seethed. "Does she have something on him?" Ana asked the moment the thought occurred to her.

"No, that is what I find perplexing. Ending their friendship would have no adverse impact on his life as far as I can tell." Taylor grumbled.

"Maybe it's psychological." She had applied little pushes when it came to his life hoping the final push she applied three weeks ago would be it, but she had obviously been wrong. She was beginning to wonder if she'd bitten off more than she could chew.

* * *

"You want me to do what?" Christian looked at him wide-eyed.

"Just talk to her. Kate isn't doing well with the silent treatment." _Whose fault is that?_

"She said she would call her, she didn't give her a date. If Ana says she will call she will call, my pushing her is not going to help you or Kate." He runs his fingers through his hair. "Shouldn't you be having this conversation with Ana?" He added annoyed.

"I don't want to push," Elliot answered sheepishly.

"Oh, but it's okay for me to push." He growled.

"Well, you are her boyfriend if anyone can push it's you." Elliot all but pleaded.

"Look… I've been telling Ana we'd take The Grace out for weeks now. How about we do that this weekend. That is all I can do for you."

"I'll take that," Elliot said with a smile. "So… how are things?" He added failing at his attempt at sounding nonchalance.

"Things are good, great to be honest with you. I know I haven't been coming to Sunday lunch as much…"

"Nah, we understand," Elliot smirked. "So, when did you lose your virginity?" The question caught him off guard and more importantly left him feeling uncomfortable.

"Fifteen…"

"Damn, bro even I had to wait till I was sixteen. That was also around the time you stopped acting up and spending a hell of a lot of time at the library." Elliot teased little realizing the turmoil brewing in his brother.

Christian let out the breath he didn't know he was holding when Ana walked back into the room. He had been close to revealing all to his brother though he would only realize that later. "Well, I have disturbed you enough. I have to get back to work." Christian gave his brother an awkward hug though Elliot thought it was anything but awkward. His brother had embraced him… he did not expect it and held back the emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He gave Ana a bear hug. "Thank you, thank you so much." He whispered in her ears before walking out.

"Are you alright?" Ana asked a pensive looking Christian.

"He asked me when I lost my virginity." He murmured more to himself. "And I answered." Ana curled up on his lap her fingers in his hair. He wrapped his arms around her and found himself wondering when exactly he lost his mind thinking there was ever a choice between her and Elena.

He was in love with Ana, not that he lacked the courage to tell her, but he found himself questioning and wondering if she felt the same. She was beautiful inside and out, she was warm and welcoming. She was everything he was not, why on earth she had picked him with all his problems was mind numbing. She was a wonderfully devious woman that brought him alive, and the thought of ever not been with her left him shaking with fear. For years he had been happy with the lack of love in his life, he loved his family in his own way and wasn't too concerned if they felt the same. They told him often enough that they loved him, but he always thought they were obligated to feel that way. He now knew how wrong he was, love was not an obligation, love wasn't something you forced yourself to feel, love was an all-encompassing feeling that made you feel on top of the world at the same time made you feel like your heart was being ripped apart.

"Are you okay?" Ana asked as he had been quiet.

"I love you." _Consequences be damned._

Ana's breath caught in her throat as she leaned back and looked at him. "I love you… fuck that… I'm in love with you and truth be told it happened some time ago." The gnawing feeling in his gut disappeared when she beamed a face-splitting smile at him.

"I'm in love with you too." She giggled. "I love you, Christian Grey." She wrapped arms around his neck and leaned back into him. She nibbled on his neck earning a low growl from him.

As she stared at him, he found himself wondering how he had missed that loving look in her eyes. He'd seen it enough times, hell, that was the only look she almost always gave him, except when he pissed her off. He was in love, and she felt the same. He kissed her softly, she moaned into his mouth her tongue massaging his.

At that moment he realized that deep down he always believed Elena's bullshit. She always told himself love was not for a man like him, he wasn't capable of love, and no one could love him. He had believed her, after all, over a decade of having that drummed into his head, why wouldn't he buy into that bull. He did, and fuck she almost won. He had been so reluctant to end their friendship, not because of his refusal to see himself as a victim, but he feared if he got rid of her he'd have no one. He never truly believed until this moment that Ana was his and there to stay. He would not have that one person that knew all his secrets and accepted him, except Elena didn't accept him. When he showed change, she wanted to take it away from him, revert him back to the cold, isolated man he was, the man she could manipulate. He was a victim, a victim on so many levels and until she was out of his life altogether, meaning his family as well, he would continue to be a victim.

He was a twenty-eight-year-old man molded for her pleasure. If she couldn't have him under her in the playroom, she would in other ways, and she had done just that with the subs, trapped him in a lifestyle that he didn't need. She isolated him from his family made him reliant on her and somehow he was blind to it. He saw it as a good thing, keep them away from the monster she had led him to believe he was. Well, no more, never again it was time to get rid of the bitch.

"I have to get back to the office. I have finally found a candidate for the editor's position. The man's resume is odd to say the list, but Elizabeth in HR tells me it will be a coup to land him." She rattled as she packed up her manuscript.

"Okay, be careful the paparazzi are still milling around." Since their relationship became public a couple of weeks ago, they have been inundated with the media on their doorsteps. Considering they both lived in the same building, the press were fielding stories about how their relationship had been going on for months, and they were now living together.

"Always." She kissed him soundly before departing leaving him with a hard on. She walked back in as he adjusted his erection.

Ana…" was all he managed before she tackled him back onto the couch. Her mouth on his, her tongue massaging his. He pulled free trying to catch his breath.

"I love you." She moaned her lips back on his.

"I love you too." He managed despite her frenzied attack.

* * *

"We are the first to arrive," Ana said as she didn't recognize any other car in the marina.

"Yeah, I wanted to show you around before everyone else arrived." The smile he shot her left under no illusion as to what he had in mind.

"Oh, Christian she is a beauty." She gushed.

"Isn't she just." He said proudly. "She was built by GEH." He added. "Come I will show you around." He practically dragged her onto his catamaran.

"I still can't believe you had José invite Franco."

"Elena… for as long as I have had The Grace has been angling for an invite. I usually took her out with the family for the Fourth of July and every time Elena would turn up at Escala or at my parent's hoping to get an invite. Apart from family I've never had anyone else on the Grace and that was always the excuse I used to soften the blow, but now… fuck softening anything. I know Franco will do nothing but brag come Monday when he gets back to work." Ana shakes her head at him.

"And I'm the devious one." She chuckles.

"Monday evening we will hear all about how I invited Franco and not her. I will invite Elena to the penthouse on Monday. I will be ending our business partnership and our friendship. The woman is no friend, she is a leech, and it's time to pry her off." _Finally._

"Do you have enough cabins for everyone?" She asks changing the subject.

"Well, I have seven, there are four couples, Mia and Ethan so yeah we have enough cabins." His idea of showing her around consisted of the deck, the master cabin. He shut the door behind them and walked her back towards the bed.

"What about the rest?" She asked with a giggle.

"We have the entire weekend." He moaned.

"I was under the impression you brought me here early to give me a tour." Whatever his response was going to be was rendered moot by Elliot's loud annoying voice.

"Never once have I cockblocked him, but here he is doing just that to me." He whined.

"I doubt it was his intention." Ana chuckled.

"I don't care." He grumbled much to her amusement. He begrudgingly made his way to the deck with Ana in tow.

"You are early." He growled.

"We had lunch at the seafood restaurant around the corner before we knew it is was almost time. We thought we'd come here and wait, and we saw your car." Elliot mumbled. "Hey, Ana." He greeted.

"Elliot Kate, how are you two?"

"Good," Kate answered.

"How have you being?" Kate asked.

"Can't complain," Ana answered. _Fuck, this is awkward._ "Come, we can look around." She said after a beat. "Christian's idea of a tour leaves a lot to be desired." Ana teased easing the tension.

"Come on bro, how was I supposed to know you wanted a minute with the little lady?" Elliot said salaciously.

"Yeah, I came here an hour early to twiddle my thumbs." He grumbled. "I'm beginning to think this should have just being Ana and myself." He mumbled.

"Christian, I can feel your grumpiness from here," Ana yelled from below deck earning belly laughs from Elliot and Kate. "He can be grumpier than Ray," Ana added.

"Ana, I am so sorry." Kate blurted out.

"I know… the thing is Kate… you were just as sorry the last time I ended up in a coma and in the hospital for a month. I missed my graduation. I missed José first show, but none of that stopped you from…" she sighed feeling fed up. "What do you want me to say, Kate."

"I swear it will never happen aga…" she stopped when she realized she said those same words when Ana woke up from her coma.

"Yeah," Ana whispered.

"Action speaks louder than words and from now on my actions will do the talking." Ana didn't have the heart to tell her that she will never put herself in that position again.

"I forgive you," Ana said, but she knew she would most likely never trust her again.

"Thank you," Kate said though she knew she had yet to earn back the trust she had thrown away if ever.

An hour later all the players were on board and Christian, Elliot, and Mac got ready to set off. "Mr. Grey." He stopped Franco.

"It's Christian, while you are here I'm not your boss. You are my friend's boyfriend." Christian looked over Franco's shoulder to find José and Ethan in an embrace that left little to the imagination especially when José grabbed Ethan's ass. Christian just shook his head and got back to making sure they were soon underway. "This is why you chuckled when I asked if Ethan was gay." He asked Ana. He watched as Ethan and José talked. José had a hard time keeping his hands of Ethan and the man didn't object if anything he encouraged it.

"Yep, Ethan is the guy José wants but can't have and as you can see Ethan loves nothing more than to let José cop a feel of exactly what he can't have.

"That boy is too much." He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Ana as Mia took picture after picture.

"This picture is going to shoot my friend's requests through the roof." she squealed.

"Now, there's an idea." Jose quickly forgot Ethan wrapped his arms around Franco and snapped away. "This is so going on my Facebook page." He added.

* * *

Elena's Google alert these days never delivered good news and in all honesty, she dreaded that distinct chime that alerted her. Been a stickler for punishment, she checked her phone has it had vibrated on her desk for the ninth in just under half an hour. She was desperate to know what Christian was up to. She stared at her phone for a couple of minutes still in shock as to what she was seeing. Franco was on The Grace with his boyfriend, the little wench's best friend. She had never seen The Grace except for the odd picture Grace would show her when the family took her out on the fourth of July. He always told her it was family only, and there her employee was on The Grace with Christian's arm around him. _So… this is why Franco asked for the weekend off._

Elena just about got through the weekend without taking anybody's head off. She never envisaged this day, the day Christian Grey would set her aside for another woman. It was Sunday evening and after downing a bottle and a half of wine, she was finally drifting off to sleep when that ringtone that made her heart skip a beat and her pussy quiver blared through the bedroom. "Christian." She sounded out of breath.

"Come to the penthouse tomorrow evening at seven." He barked.

"Of co…" Was all she managed before he hanged up. _Gone were the days he scrambled to pick up his phone to answer my call._

"Christian, darling." She purrs. "Franco get's an invite onto The Grace, and yet I could never get you to even show her to me." She grabs the bottle of wine and pours herself a generous helping.

"Not that it's any of your business who I invite onto my catamaran, but Franco was invited by his boyfriend... you know the one you thought was my boyfriend and was cheating on me. The one you kept quiet about for days just so you could humiliate me in front of my parents."

"I wanted to talk to you face to face, just you. I wasn't about to leave that kind of message on your phone."

"Elena you are full of shit." To Christian's surprise, Gail puts a plate in front of Elena. He looks up at her, and she quickly averts her gaze. _What is she up to?_

"Over the last few weeks, I have been working on separating GEH from Esclava…"

"Chris…" he holds his hands up stopping her.

"Let's be honest you and I are not friends, we have nothing to talk about except for subs, and that is no longer a subject of conversation."

"We have a business together and what do you mean we are not friends. I have been nothing but a friend to you." She argued.

"As for the salons I was going to gift you my shares in Esclava, but then over the last few days my eyes have been opened, and that changed everything," Elena smiles.

"The salon makes you a lot of money… not that you need it but it's a lot of money none the less." she cooed.

"You misunderstand." Christian paused taking a bite of his steak. "I am now selling my shares in Esclava." Elena starts coughing as her chewed steak goes down the wrong pipe. He slowly chews on his steak wishing she choked on a bone instead. _Gail should have served fish._ "You must take me for a real fool… funny thing is I don't blame you. After all, you have had your talons in me for so long blinding me to what was in front of me."

Elena wiped the corners of her mouth and tossed the white napkin onto her plate soiling it with the red wine jus. She stood to her full height, shoulders back, chin out and stared Christian down. "Since you met that whore you have turned into an idiot. I have had nothing but your best interest at heart…"

"MY BEST INTEREST." He bellowed. "How was it in my best interest when you encouraged me to distance myself from my family? How was it in my best interest when you led me to believe I was a monster who couldn't be loved or love in return? How was it my best interest when you isolated me from everyone even at Harvard, I had no friends, you turned me into an anti-social cold bastard? How was any of that in my best interest?" He was up and baring down on her by the time he was done.

"Look where you are… what you have, that is what I did for you…"

"Bullshit, I was headed here on my own, and worse I would have done it with the love of my family and friends."

"That's what this is about? LOVE." She scoffed. "You think that whore loves you, you think that's what this is? Love is for fools, and you will soon learn that the hard way."

"Well, then Elena, consider me the world's number one fool. The Funny thing is, I'm surrounded by people in love, and they all happen to be people I respect and trust a great deal. I would not call my parents, grandparents, Taylor and Gail, Roz and Gwen, Reynolds and Andrea, Welch and Stephanie fools. This is you desperately trying to keep your talons in me… well, I have news for you. Your talons have long lost its hold and fuck if I will ever allow you back in. I am on the other side, and the other side is a thing of beauty, love and light illuminate everything, and now I see you. I finally see you for what you are and what you are, is an evil, vindictive, cold-hearted manipulative bitch of the highest order and I wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire."

"I never thought I'd say these words where you are concerned, but you are full of shit. Do you think your family would be so welcoming if they knew about…"

"They know." He lied. "Did you honestly think my mom no longer returns your phone calls because she thinks you are a homophobic bitch? No Elena, Ana encouraged me to come clean after you left Grey House, so over the weekend on The Grace I came clean to my family and guess what they still love me, as we speak my father is looking for ways to throw your ass in prison. So tell me again how my family will abandon me if they knew." As he spoke, he knew he was going to come clean to his family. He almost did when Elliot visited his office and not because of Elena, but he needed to do it for himself, he needed to feel free of this secret, or else he will never truly embrace them.

"After everything I've done for you… you little shit…" Right there and then her stomach growled. They both knew it wasn't the kind of noise that signaled hunger.

"Did someone say something about shit." He howled in laughter. "Yep, someone is indeed full of shit." Her stomach rumbled again on cue.

"Oh God." Elena paled in embarrassment and need. She started running towards Christian's bedroom only for Taylor to step in her way. Christian grabbed her bag and shoved it in her hands.

"The door is that way." He pointed towards the double doors. Elena looked at him in horror.

"I won't make it home." She pleaded as the rumbling got worse.

"No, you won't," Taylor added.

"Christian, don't do this." Her shoes scraped along the floors as Taylor pulled her towards the elevator.

"Goodbye, Elena and I pray to God I never have to see your poison filled face ever again." He chuckled as the elevator door closed.

"Thirty floors down, she is not going to make it," Taylor said as Ana and José came out of the security office howling with laughter.

"Man candy."

"Yes," Christian answered. "Did I just reply to that?" He asked looking around.

"Yes, you did." José purred. "Now is there any way to stop this elevator from here?"


	11. Elena's Plight

**AN: Short chapter for those that wanted Elena locked in the Elevator.**

The more José heard the more he wanted to rip Elena apart limb by limb. He had grown to love Christian; it was easy to do, the man was easy to love. He couldn't help wonder just how much more he could be if this bitch had never got her claws into him. _Well, he has a friend in me for as long as I live._

The growl that left Elena caught them all of guard, all except for Gail.

"Gail what did you do?" Taylor asks with a raised eyebrow. "I better get out there. We will talk about this later." He adds though he has a hard time keeping the smile off his face as he walks out.

"Gail, nicely done." Ana and José give her high fives as Taylor tosses the bitch in the Elevator. They come out laughing their hearts out.

"Man candy."

"Yes," Christian answered. "Did I just answer to that?" He asked looking around.

"Yes, you did." José purred. "Now is there any way to stop this elevator from here?" José asks bouncing on his toes. "Come on, please man candy her catsuit and boots will contain it. Hell, I'd pay for a cleaning crew to come clean…" he doesn't finish his sentence when Christian inserts the elevator key, enters the code, turns the key and pushes the small stop button above the elevator. They race back to the security office to find Elena yelling at the camera.

"Christian, let me out of here. Christian open this fucking door NOW." She bellows.

"I know that bitch you call a housekeeper put something into my…" Her own stomach cuts her off. "Oh god… let me out."

"Is she crying?" Ana asks incredulously.

"Please, that thing hasn't got tear ducts." Reynolds snorts. "Sir." Reynolds points to a phone like console on the far end of the desk.

Knock yourself out." Christian chuckles. Taylor pulls the phone over to Reynolds, who dials a number and the Elevator phone rings. "Christian, open this goddamn door now or else… I'm calling the police for attempted kidnapping." Christian knew Elena was bluffing she was not going to call anybody out of sheer embarrassment due her current predicament.

"I'm sorry ma'am," Reynolds says in a southern accent. "There seems to be some technical issue with the elevators all four including the private one are down. We currently have seven people including yourself stuck at the moment."

"You expect me to believe that shit." Reynolds's lightening quick reflexes come in handy has he has to put the phone on mute as the room burst into laughter.

"Shhh." Christian struggles to keep them quiet.

"I'm sorry ma'am whether you believe it or not it's the case. We have called the engineers, and you should be out in ten. Sorry about the inconvenience." Reynolds hangs up as Elena can be heard shouting hello.

"If you think I believe this…" There is no question as to what just happened as the noise that Elena and her demeanor was proof enough.

"That catsuit will need burning." Ana chuckled.

"Yep," Christian says laughing so hard he's holding his side.

"Gail, she could sue you?" Taylor says sniggering.

"Oh please, she can't prove shit." Those that had managed to compose themselves were back at it.

"I can't… oh god… I can't breathe." José gasps trying to control his laughter.

"What did you put in her food?" Ana asks.

"Prescription-strength laxatives, a few drops in her wine glass and a fair few in her red wine jus."

"A little too much, and where in God's name did you get it." Taylor chortles.

"A woman does not reveal her secrets." The day she told Taylor she wanted to help in some way she had hoped this day would come. The pharmacist by Pike Market has had a thing for her for some time, and frankly, it was the first time she'd asked for anything, and he happily obliged. She had merely asked his opinion on the best over the counter laxative when he produced the lethal brand she just used.

They all left the security room simple asking Reynolds to keep recording. "Reynolds, let her out in about five minutes or so," Taylor said walking out; he had an evening in with his wicked woman. Reynolds put his feet up and watches a looking nervous Elena Lincoln standing shock still by the elevator console. God, there were no amount of words that could describe just how much he hated the woman. He knew Taylor and Miss Steele had been instrumental in opening the boss's eyes to the evil nature of the thing in the elevator. Let her out in five minutes… sure.

* * *

Elena snatched up the phone as it rang. "Please let me out." She begged or at least attempted to.

"Ma'am are you in some distress… if so I can call the fire service to pry the door open, as the elevator stopped between two floors, we can't risk trying to pull you out ourselves. It will take the engineers some time to figure out what is wrong." Elena couldn't believe this was happening to her. Christian threw her out in her hour of need after everything she had done for him. This was not the night to challenge him, but she was sick and tired of playing the subservient role every time she met him. She'd had about enough dressing down as she could take from him.

"No, I am not in distress." She could not have strapping young men pull her out while she had soiled herself and worse she was getting hotter and hotter in the cat suit.

It took an hour before the elevators started moving again, she for the first time found herself thanking God. Her ass itched; she knew she was going to spend an insurmountable about of time in the shower just to rid herself of the stench and burn her fucking clothes as she did not want to ever remember this day. She took heart in the knowledge that if Christian really was not responsible for locking her in the Elevator, then he and the wench had no knowledge of her plight. She gingerly walked out of the elevator and into her drive home was about as uncomfortable as it could get, but she managed it _. If Christian thinks he can disrupt my life and walk away, he is solely mistaken_. She smiled knowing just how to stick it to Christian Grey.


	12. Chapter 12

In a fit of rage and frustration, Elena Lincoln tossed her phone across the room shattering it to pieces. After everything she'd done for them, because of her, they met Christian. Because of her they had the best sex of their lives, had their education paid for, loans paid off, condos they couldn't otherwise afford bought for them, high-end luxury cars, couture gowns and designer clothes and shoes and yet not one would help her. All afraid to lose what they had if they defied the terms of their NDA's. It was because of her they had it in the first place. All she was asking for them to show their faces around Seattle and unsettle Christian, and with some luck, he'd be reminded of what he was missing. He had to come back into the lifestyle; it was the only way to get rid of the wench. She was going to give that housekeeper a taste of her own medicine the moment Christian came to his senses before she made sure he fired her.

There were just two girls left on her list and if she was honest with herself these two were her best chance. "Hello," Susannah said wearily knowing precisely who it was.

"Susannah it's Elena, Elena Lin…"

"I know it's you I recognize the salon number." Elena was forced to use Esclava's number as she had stupidly broken her cell phone.

"Any chance I can get you to come to Seattle… I need to talk to you."

"About what?" Susannah patience was already frayed from just seeing her number. The woman was the single most despicable human being she'd ever had the misfortune of coming across. She only dealt with her because she wanted to be Mr. Grey's sub. She'd been warned of the dangers of falling for him and within six months she'd done just that and had been foolish enough to tell him all at the behest of the bitch on the other end.

"Well… Christian is being blackmailed." That got her attention; even if she hated Elena, she still carried a torch for Mr. Grey.

"WHAT!"

"Yes, I know and worse he is giving in."

"Why do you need me to come to Seattle? What do you expect me to do?" She was concerned for him, despite their less than amicable parting of ways she would help him if she could, and she guessed Elena knew that.

"I don't want to talk over the phone. We still don't know how she came by the information she has." Elena smiled to herself knowing she had her.

"Emm… okay, let me call you back in an hour when I find out when I can leave. Did someone talk… you think."

"We don't know," Elena said solemnly.

"Taylor chuckled in disbelieve. You'd think the bitch would have learned her lesson. Bugging her office was a stroke of genius. "Nicely done José." The moment the conversation was over, he dialed Susannah.

"Hello."

"Miss Martin, Jason Taylor, disregard everything Elena Lincoln just told you. Lincoln is no longer a part of Mr. Grey's life, and she is desperately trying to find a former sub to come disrupt Mr. Grey's relationship and has so far come up short. She has now resorted to lies, as no one will take her up on her real offer. Call her back in the hour and inform her your boss will not grant you leave under any circumstance as you just got back from a three-month extended vacation with your husband." Susannah wasn't surprised Taylor knew the ins and outs of her life. She had indeed just got back from an extended vacation with her husband and knew it was highly unlikely to get any more time off."

"Thank you, Jason, I will. Do I in some way work for Mr. Grey."

"In some way." Was all he had said before he hung up. None of Christian's subs worked for him in any way, but since he and Ana started riding Grey of Elena he had made it a point to keep an eye on the subs.

Susannah couldn't believe she had allowed Elena Lincoln to almost get to her. She waited for the hour to come with bated breath and what would you know she gets called into a meeting just as the hour was up. It was another hour and a half before she was able to call Elena.

Elena on her end was beginning to wonder if her gamble had failed. She damn near dropped the phone when it rang. "Susannah."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to make it to Seattle. I'm on my way out of town for work on the red eye. That was why I was late in calling you back. I went to my boss's office to ask for a week off when he told me. I hope you can get one of the other girls to help." Elena wanted to break something.

"That's fine." It fucking wasn't just when she had found help it had been snatched from her. "Do you by any chance have Leila's number?"

"Didn't you hear? Leila had a mental breakdown her family had her committed. She tried to kill herself."

"What a shame, such a vibrant young thing as well _." Vibrant my ass. That girl was as loopy as a bowl of fruit loops._

* * *

"Christian, where is Ana?" Grace asked looking behind her son.

"She had a meeting, it's taken her so long to find an Editor I told her to join us after her meeting." Ana had tried to get to believe his family wouldn't disown him, after all, everything else Elena had lead him to believe turned out to be complete nonsense so why wouldn't what she led him to believe about his family be wrong.

"Well, come in dear. It's great to see you." He chuckled wrapping his arms around his mother's shoulders, you'd think she wasn't expecting him. Grace was taken aback by the move but contained herself.

"Bro, you are not already getting married are you." Elliot teased.

"No bonehead." Christian countered.

"Boys." This time, it was Mia earning a giggle from Grace.

"Well, then why did you drag us all here on a Tuesday night?"

"Patience, Elliot… have some." Carrick advised.

"I haven't…" he sat down, stood up and sat down again and now his family looked on worriedly. "I kept my distance because I believed I was a monster who didn't deserve your love."

"Christian…"

"I know, I was wrong, I was so wrong I can't quantify it, but when you've had that drummed into your head for over a decade you believe it, I believed it and then Ana came along."

"Who?" Grace asked in near whisper.

"Elena." He answered with his head bowed in shame.

"It was you…" Carrick said causing Christian to look up.

"The boy Michael Lincoln found her with, the reason he beat her black and blue. He got away with pummelling the shit out of her, and she covered for him so I looked into it. I got a report stating she was having an affair with a boy. My investigator could not prove anything, but deep down I knew the story was true." Grace looks incensed.

"You never liked the woman, I always knew there was a reason behind it. It never occurred to you to tell me." She seethed.

"Tell you what. Tell you I had no proof but I believe your friend was having an affair, and that was why her marriage ended. What difference would it have made to you? People have affairs every day, had I known it was my son it would have been a different story." Carrick countered. "She had an affair, it's not why I didn't like her, but it was because I saw her a cold, opportunistic bitch who was using our family for her own agenda." Carrick snarled.

"How long?" Christian bristled. "How. Long?" Grace asked again through gritted teeth

"Six years."

"It ended when you met Ana," Elliot asked with a smirk.

"No, when I was twenty on…" The gasp that left his father, the sound of abject horror that left his mother rooted him to his seat. "She led me to believe she was helping me, I bought it because I started behaving, you two stopped fighting. She introduced me to a lifestyle that I thought was helping me, I reveled in it, took pride in my abilities, and she used it against me. Led me to believe it was best to keep my distance from you, as you were likely to disown me if you found out. She isolated me, made me reliant on her and somehow I saw it as help, I saw her as a friend helping me when in reality she…"

"I am going to kill that bitch, I am going to slowly torture her to death. Fuck the Hippocratic oath, that bitch is a dead woman." Grace raged, and Christian believed his mother would do as she was threatening.

"I'm sorry, I was blinded by her."

"You my dear boy have nothing to be sorry for, you did nothing wrong. She took advantage of you in the worst way possible. I have heard rumors of her alternate lifestyle and to think she did that to you is deplorable. At fifteen, at fifteen... most teen boys are a handful, you may have been a few hands full, but you would have grown out of it given time." Grace sat next to her son, she made sure he knew they did not blame him at all, the blame laid solely with Elena Lincoln.

"I love you all so much, and I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to realize it." He pulled his mother into a hug and this time, she let herself go.

"So… what are we going to do about her? If the plan is to still get rid of her I have a foundation with the concrete yet to be poured I can delay it a day or two so we can get a few days with her before we end her." Elliot offers.

"That would be great. I want just an hour with her." Mia adds her two cents.

"Death is too good for her. It may have taken me years to pry her off me, but she's off. I am selling my shares in Esclava to Franco for a hundred dollars, I'm sure he can raise the cash." He joked. "She is out of my life and last night she learned that the hard way." He couldn't help his laugh as he recalled last night.

"What happened last night?" Mia asked.

"Now, there is a story," Ana said from the archway.

"Darling girl, I am so glad to see you." Grace was up and hugging her for dear life. "I know you are to thank for this development and words aren't enough, but all the same, I will try. Thank you, thank you for giving me back my son." Grace cried.

"I didn't do much, I told him some home truths, it was a choice to listen and act on them, and he did," Ana said walking over and sitting next to Christian, who immediately pulled her onto his lap.

"What did you do to the bitch last night?" Mia interrupted.

Ana and Christian looked at each other and with a great deal of satisfaction regaled them with the tale of Elena's plight as José had named it. "Please tell me there is a recording of this?" Elliot begged while Grace and Carrick still tried to get their breaths back. Mia had given up and was on the floor.

"Yep, in full HD color." Christian chuckled.

You will… in fact Mia, I was wondering if you could do me a favor?"

* * *

Elena couldn't believe the sight before her as the doors to her salon opened. There stood Christian Grey in all his glory. "Christian." She purred.

He smiled, and she returned it with a beaming smile of her own, but it soon disappeared when she realized he was looking over her shoulder.

"Franco," Christian said in greeting.

"I brought my money." He sang happily waving his checkbook.

"I'm sure you did." Elena was surprised by the easy banter between the two. One weekend on a yacht did not make them friends, and yet it appears it did.

"Let's use the office," Christian suggested.

"Excuse me." Elena barked. "Last I checked it was my office." She snarled mostly at Franco.

"Last time I checked, I was the one with the larger percentage, and soon it will be Franco so I'd say we are more entitled to use that office." Elena's jaw dropped at the news.

"You are selling your shares to Franco. If he can afford it, I damn well sure can." She bristled with anger again aimed at Franco.

"Don't care if you can afford Texas I'm selling to Franco." With that he stalked into the office and within half an hour it was done. Franco was the majority shareholder in Ecsclava. He had no time for Elena after he sat down and with Ana's help told his family about his subsequent practice of the lifestyle, he was again hit with just how much he never needed BDSM. It did nothing for him, all it did for him was provide sex and the illusion of control. You don't have control over someone who has already ceded control to you because it's their position to do so.

Elena didn't think Christian could find more ways to hurt and embarrass her but clearly, he could. He was selling her salons to Franco, the idea left her feeling devastated. She had worked hard to turn the salons into what it was today, and he was giving it to the prancing fool. "Pleasure doing business with you." Franco laughed.

"No, the pleasure was all mine." Elena was sure it was, after all, he was screwing her over.

"Elena, I expect your things out of my office by the close of business today." Christian chuckled with delight as he walked out of the salon.

"Oh Franco, Ana was wondering if you could give her a trim when you come by net week for my haircut."

"Of course, I've been dying to get my hands on her hair." He purred with delight.

"Excellent, I will let her know." With that, the doors closed and he was gone.

"Elena, I thought you and Grey were rather good friends, his only friend from what I've heard." Mrs. Coulters inquired. Elena bristled, her exchange will be all over Seattle within hours knowing Mrs. Coulters.

"He's got new friends, and they are all young, beautiful and just fabulous. I happen to be dating one of them." Franco gushed ignoring the dirty looks Elena was throwing his way. "And his future wife can't stand her so she had to go." Franco waved his hand flippantly towards Elena.

"Franco, who knew you were such a bitch." Elena barked.

"After all these years in your company, I've picked up a thing or two. You may be a part owner but what I say goes so try not to piss me off." Franco bit back. "The stock needs to be shelved, you can do that for the rest of the day." He shooed her away.

Elena was about to protest but found the same women she considered friends looking at her with grim satisfaction. She knew they harbored a certain jealousy towards her because of her association with Christian, and now Christian had publicly humiliated her. She wanted out of the room so she made her way to the back. Little did she know her public humiliation was just beginning.

* * *

"She wouldn't be stupid enough to come," Carrick said sipping his champagne.

"I'm actually hoping she will come, I owe that woman a slap." Grace snarled.

"Well, I've had her moved, unfortunately only to the table behind us if she does show," Christian said as Elena was initially on the same table as them. The entire family, as well as Ana and José, were attending a charity art auction with an informal dinner to help one of the charities Grace supported.

Grace had decided to step down as a director. How could she continue to work for a children's charity when she didn't know her child was being molested for years. The woman she called a friend had for years subjected her son to physical and mental abuse. Christian with his problems had been susceptible to Elena's machinations and she a pediatrician was none the wiser. Christian and Ana had talked her out of it, they had mentioned the number of people that liked to be associated with the charity because of her. Indeed stepping down will only hurt more children and she couldn't have that.

"You have got to be kidding me the bitch came, she actually showed her face." Christian had the distinct feeling she knew he was bluffing when he told her he had told his parents, due to her plight she didn't have the chance to call him out. She was here to find out for herself. _Well, she's in for a rude awakening._

Elena eye was trained on the Grey's table and realized her seat had been taken over by the wench. _Of course, she's in my seat; she has everything else._

"Grace, you seriously cannot believe I'm homophobic in any way." Hell, she employed Franco after all, and now he had taken over her livelihood.

"You know what… I don't know what to believe. Finding out the person who was supposedly your friend had subjected your fifteen-year-old son to abuse makes you think hard about what you thought you knew." Christian realized he was right in his assumption. Elena saw through his bluff. She stood there in shock lost for words.

"Cat got your tongue?" Mia sneered.

"Well, there is a first time for everything." Christian chuckled. Elena snapped out of her state of shock and leveled a deadly glare at Ana.

"Oh, now you want to blame me for the fact that you are a pedophile. Go ahead this is an argument I'd like to hear." Ana turned her body facing her.

"I took some laxatives this morning I think it's beginning to work." Elliot moaned. Carrick let out an uncharacteristic snort before he burst into laughter, the rest of them soon joined him. Elena stared at Christian in horror. She could not believe he would do that to her and yet in the last few weeks he had done nothing but show contempt where she was concerned, so why was she surprised by his actions.

"You should be alright as long as you don't get locked in anywhere," Christian said giving Mia the nod as the rest of the table continued to laugh at her expense.

Elena moved away from the Greys she was itching to walk out of the room, but was on a mission, and it would be complete tonight come hell or high water.

Elena walked around making small talk with the few people who still didn't know she had fallen out with the Grey's. She found she was getting stares and gawks and soon found a quiet corner and waited for her opportunity she quickly realized that the few people that walked past looked at her and often sniggered or outright laughed in her face. _What the fuck is going on?_

Her phone rung and she rolled her eyes before answering. "Isaac."

"Emm… mistress you might want to check your Facebook account. Someone put a video on Facebook, it's… also on YouTube." She could hear the fear in Isaac's voice.

"Oh, my god… that's her." She looked up to find a young couple staring at her.

"WHAT?" she barked.

"Did you really shit yourself in an elevator." She paled as they laughed and walked away. Her humiliation was complete. She frantically opened her Facebook account and with a great deal of trepidation watched the horrifying video.

"How could you?" she damn near cried as Christian and Ana walked past.

"Did you think I would sell Esclava to you?" He asked in disbelief.

"I'm not talking about the fucking salons." She bristled with anger.

"Then what the fuck are you talking about." He bit back in the same tone. His phone beeped and opened it and watched the video in horror.

"Nice try Christian… you forget I know you well." She sneered.

"Clearly not well enough. I am not responsible for this, I wish I could take credit for this, but I can't. You say my name several times and accuse my housekeeper of putting laxatives in… Oh, you are good, if you think you can accuse my staff or me of putting laxatives in your food, then try and sue me you've got another thing coming." He snarled.

"How exactly could I have gotten the video in your private elevator." Ana walked away because she was close to losing it. Christian signalled Taylor to go with her. He could handle Elena.

"When there is an emergency the video feed goes directly to the maintenance office. Whichever one of them gave you this video will talk. How could you stoop so low as to humiliate yourself in such a manner for money is beyond me."

"Christian, I didn't…"

"I don't give a fuck." He walked away towards the gentlemen's with a smile on his face. His last fuck you to Elena Lincoln had gone better than expected. He was surprised he managed to pull off the horrified and appalled expression.

Ana was still laughing with Taylor as they walked around the gallery waiting for Christian to be done with the bitch. "Where is he?" Ana mumbled as Christian was taking his time. "I need to use the ladies." Taylor was right behind her. "You are not seriously following me to the bathroom." She asked horrified.

"No Ana, I will wait outside." He chuckled

She placed her purse on the vanity and washed her hands. The door to the stall behind her slowly opened. She looked up to find a red-haired man, in the distance, he could pass for Christian pointing a gun at her. She nonchalantly finished washing her hands and dried it with a paper towel. This was Elena's doing she knew it. "A silencer, you thought this out, but you might want to take a step back as the gun is within reach." Isaac found himself taking a step back.

"What do you think you are going to achieve killing me? He still will not go back to her."

"If she can't have him no one can." He chuckled.


	13. Chapter 13

Isaac had no qualms about killing Ana, for the money Elena had promised him; he'd kill the entire Grey clan and not butt an eyelid. He was going to be rich and free, free from Elena. Free to be his own man. He deserved it after the shit he'd had to put up with. He gave her everything and yet Grey was the one she truly wanted, and now the rose tinted glasses had come off, and he no longer enthralled her.

Ana looks around the room. "There is no way out." Isaac chuckles.

"I know." Ana smirks. "Which begs the question... how you plan on getting past Taylor and Reynolds beyond the door. Ana knew Taylor was the only one behind the door and unfortunately a little too far from the door to hear her.

"Let me worry about that." He sneered.

"Oh, I'm not worried about you at all. It's rather pointless to worry about fools. You actually think she is going to kill him?" She scoffed. "She has lost the salons to Franco." You don't have to take my word for it, ask Franco. She has lost her house because she owes the banks now that Christian has pulled his backing." She lied as she had the distinct feeling Elena had promised money. "Elena Lincoln does not have a cent to her name and yet you think she is going to kill the one man who can give her everything she's lost." Isaac's uncertainty began to show. "No… she's not. What she is going to do though is let you kill me and then be there to comfort Christian. Welcome him back to the BDSM lifestyle, after all, it's his coping mechanism. You will be labeled as the guy who was obsessed with her and thought I was a danger to her so killed me to please her. You, my dear fool will go down for murder, and she will work at getting back into Christian's good graces." She chuckled humorlessly. "Hell, I saw you hanging outside the bathroom pretending to be on your phone. If I saw you, you can be damn sure the cameras did, and worse saw you slip in here. A rather brave move as I might have gone the entire night and not had ventured in here, but alas I did, and you will foolishly play right into Elena's hand." She had him, and she knew it, that gun was slowly pointing towards the floor.

"Elena was outside when I walked in here. Christian uses the bathroom with security in tow. How exactly is Elena going to kill him?" Then she quickly realised that Christian must have gone to the bathroom alone, as Reynolds stayed with the car _. Shit_. "She certainly won't shoot him out there in plain view of the security cameras covering the length of the gallery." Ana knew she had time but not a lot of it. _Elena will try and talk sense into Christian first… her idea of it anyway, but for how long._

"She promised me money she didn't have; she knew she didn't have to pay me because I would be in prison. God, I am such a fool." Isaac lowered the gun and rubbed his face giving Ana just the opportunity she needed.

"I will take that now." Isaac felt the cold metal on the back of this neck. "Daughter of a Marine. We know how to shoot, and we don't leave the house without our guns." She took his gun from him and before he could figure out he'd been played she knocked him out with the butt of his own gun.

Ana bolted out of the bathroom and ran past Taylor who was on her heels before he could question what was happening or where she got the gun she had opened the men's bathroom door and fired a shot.

* * *

"Why her?" Christian turned around and found himself facing a gun. Strangely his first reaction was laughter, hysterical laughter. It took him a while to compose himself.

"So you've decided the best way to deal with my rejection is to shoot me?" He questioned walking over to the urinal and taking a piss.

"Why her Christian?" She asked again as he washed his hands. He knew two things Elena was either going to kill him because she would not let Ana have him or in her desperation to talk to him and make sure he stayed and listened she brought a gun. The 'why her' question though spoke to the former. If he wanted to leave the bathroom unscathed he had to delay her long enough to draw attention to the fact that he'd been gone for a while, he had to get her talking.

He leaned against the vanity and contemplated the answer or at least appeared to. "I don't know… I mean she looks like the fifteen, there is nothing unique about her in that sense." He paused staring at the walls as though he was trying to figure out why he'd fallen for Ana.

"You really don't' know, do you." He didn't answer acting as if the question bothered him.

Elena chuckled in triumph. Maybe just maybe if she questioned everything he thought he now knew she might just get him back. "You were bored with the lifestyle; she happened to come along when you felt out of sorts more than ever. Christian, you are projecting…"

"No." he barked sounding defensive. "What the fuck do you think I'm projecting. What the fuck do you know?" He behaved the way he did when he didn't want to be told he was wrong. He was behaving exactly as she expected him to.

"Christian this isn't for you, you were looking for a change and…"

"Fuck you, Elena." He snarled.

"What the fuck do you care. I was just the boy you used to satisfy your sadistic needs." He wasn't making shit up anymore. "I was the man you used for status; I was the man you used to make yourself feel superior. I was your fucking puppet and now that I have cut the strings you are standing here with a gun. What the fuck are you going to do?" He let out a snort of derision. "Go on shoot me. What are you waiting for?"

"Christian I am just trying to get you to see sense."

"Have you ever considered that I don't want to see sense? I want to be senseless for a few years. I like the new me, and if you don't like it. Which clearly you don't, you and your botoxed to an inch of its life face can fuck off. Shoot me or…" AHHH. Elena yelled cutting him off. It took him a second to notice Elena's hand bleeding and the gun on the floor. He kicked it towards the door and saw Ana with a gun Jason behind her with his gun drawn as well. He didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know who shot her.

"You just don't know when to give up do you?" Ana snarled gun still trained on Elena. "Your boy is passed out cold on the bathroom floor. He is as stupid as you are." She smiled smugly.

"Hey, baby." Christian chuckled.

"He doesn't even find anything special about you." Elena's pain filled voice sneered.

"I knew you would buy some time but did you have to make me sound so…"

"Well, she started with you, asking why her Christian." He mocked. "I'd be dead if I started singing your praises." Elena looked on in shock. _He played me, he stood here talking just to buy time, and I fell for it._ She let out a whaling scream, not that Ana and Christian batted an eyelash between them.

"Sir, the cops are on their way. Reynolds has secured Isaac." Taylor informed him as he secured Elena to one of the bathroom stall doors. His family burst in taking in the sight before them.

"What is going on?" Elliot inquired.

"Elena convinced Isaac to kill me." Christian wrapped his arms around her like his life depended on it. "I disarmed him with Mia's lipstick, I run in here and shot the gun out of the bitch's hand," Ana said nonchalantly though Christian could feel her shaking. Grace stalked over to Elena and without a word backhanded her viciously. Her ring cut Elena's face open.

"By your own hand, you are going to rot in hell where you belong." Grace spat at her walking away without a backwards glance.

After reassuring Christian, she was alright he finally let her go to call in a few favors. Elena Lincoln was going to rot in prison.

"You lost the war long before the first battle was fought. I don't know if I'm saddened or annoyed that you didn't know it." Ana said with a smile. "I knew you wouldn't stop till you were either in prison or dead. After I had taken the gun off the fool you sent to kill me, I weighed up the options of you dead or in prison and in the end I decided Prison was a much better fit for you. Your life will be made hell in prison, and I will see to it. I'm sure between Christian, Carrick and my father we can make certain of that. Ana for the win." Taylor chuckled as she strutted her way out of the bathroom.

Taylor sat on the vanity and stared at Elena with a smile. "We might just as well get comfortable. They have a few statements to take before they come for you. I told them you were secured." He chuckled knowing full well she was far from comfortable. Her hands were tied together against the stall door handle in an uncomfortable position as she was slightly bent over.

"She is right you know, you lost long before you even met her. It started with the day he left you standing at the Mile High club. I let you up just so I could watch him effectively kick you out. My favorite though was letting you think he was gay and that José was cheating on him. Franco played his part in that rather well." That was a lie, but Elena didn't know that. "You did make it easy." Elena's eyes popped wide open or as open as her botoxed face would allow." Or maybe it was when Olivia booked your appointment, but Andrea told Grey you didn't have one. Or was it when we bugged your office, and I listened with grim satisfaction as sub after sub turned you down or hanged up on you. The phone call to Susannah was my favorite. She wasn't happy to learn she'd allowed you to almost make a fool of her again. No, my favorite was certainly Gail's laxative laden red wine jus or was it Reynolds Southern accent. You know what I can't pick, hell, I forgot about Mia putting the video on Facebook and YouTube. For years we all knew what an evil conniving bitch you truly were, but Grey was blind to it. Thank God for Ana because the moment he told her your history with him she made it her mission in life to destroy you and we were more than ready to help. Maybe just maybe if you had treated us with a little respect we may not have been so quick to help her… Fuck that, whom am I kidding. You, a fucking pedophile. I'd had shot one of those fake boobs off had it been me. Rot in hell." He added just as the cops walked in to arrest her.

"Elena Lincoln you are under arrest for the attempted murders of Christian Grey and Anastasia Rose Steele." Taylor watched with a great sense of achievement as her Miranda rights was read to her before she was carted away.

Elena's head darted around wildly looking for Christian as Seattle Elite watched on as she was dragged out of the gallery. She saw him standing at the far end speaking on his phone. "Christian, CHRISTIAN…" She caught his attention, but it was all too brief as he turned away. "PLEASE LISTEN TO ME." She yelled as her head was pushed down and into the police cruiser. She saw Isaac in the other vehicle. He stared at her with such hatred and anger. It was evident Ana Steele had gotten into his head. If she could get to Christian Isaac would be a walk in the park. She had severely underestimated the girl's abilities.

* * *

"Barney, I want you find every possible bank account and make sure every single cent disappears before Monday."

"Sir…"

"Barney, I know what I'm asking, but the woman just tried to kill my girlfriend and me and I do not want her to use the money I helped her get for her defense. I want her dead broke come Monday morning."

"Consider it done." He growls. Christian found himself smiling at Barney's pussycat of a growl.

"Sir, the police would like to speak to you," Taylor informed him.

"I already gave them my statement what more do they need. I want Lincoln's house cleared of all valuable items. The woman cannot have access to money."

"I will have a team at her house within the hour," Taylor answered with a smug smile. "What about the safes at the salons?" He added.

"Call Franco and have him meet Welch and a locksmith." Christian rubbed his face. "You can say it." He grumbled.

"There is nothing to say… except you will not be calling the shots when it comes to security… ever again." Christian found himself chuckling as Taylor walked away. Had he listened to Taylor regarding security Elena would never have cornered him in the toilet. Taylor insisted on bringing Sawyer, Reynolds and himself and he vetoed it insisting security wasn't needed. Little did he know Taylor had Reynolds following them as well as bringing himself along despite his protests. _Yep, I will not be calling the shots on security again that's for sure._

After another half an hour with the cops and they finally joined the auction in the main gallery. "I'm surprised it's still happening," Ana mumbled sat on his lap, he didn't care where they were or what anybody thought. Yes, she had saved the day, but it didn't stop him clinging to her like glue.

"You and me both." He murmured. "I was hoping to get you home." Having her on his lap was not enough; he needed to feel her skin against his. Sex needn't happen he just wanted her close.

"I'm sure we can sneak out after the auction." She placated.

"You can tell me how Mia Lipstick helped you get Isaac's gun from him." He chuckled. He couldn't for the life of him work out how she got the idiot with a lipstick case.

"Their plan made it very easy…" She stops all of a sudden interested in the auction.

"A weekend of pampering at the Hyatt at Olive 8 for two. A chance to relax and let all the weeks stresses melt away. We start the bidding at two thousand dollars."

"Two, five." A quick bid came in.

"Three thousand." Soon followed by four thousand then five.

"Five, five." Everyone at the table was surprised to find Elliot putting in a bid. Christian let out a low chuckle. Ana had been so caught out by Elliot she had failed to bid, and Elliot had won the weekend at the Hyatt. She could always just drag Christian there for a weekend for two.

"Ana, how about a weekend at the Hyatt," Christian growled menacingly at his brother.

"Bro, cage the beast. I meant the little lady and you, not me you animal." He huffed with an air of indignation.

"Thank you Elliot, but you didn't have to." She said with a smile knowing full well Elliot's choice of words was meant to rile Christian up, and her boyfriend fell right into the trap.

"You little lady deserve so much more." He said with genuine affection for her.

* * *

"I sold the salons to Franco over a week ago, I'm sure she's been planning this since then, and this was what they came up with." Christian scoffed as Taylor drove them home.

"The minute I worked out the holes in their plot, I knew I could make him doubt Elena's intentions, but I was surprised by how quickly he fell for it." She shrugged.

"A lipstick to the back of the neck." Christian shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe he fell for it." This time, Taylor was the one with the chuckle.

"Mia's lipstick case base had a thin metal lining, it was round and hollow…"

"Just like the tip of the barrel of a gun," Taylor added. "Just genius." He said shaking his head.

"Indeed." Christian reiterated. "And then you put a hole in Elena's hand." This time, he was outright laughing.

"When I opened the door she turned putting the aim of the gun just off you so I simply shot it out of her hand. Had she had her aim on you I would have killed her, I would not have taken the chance to just maim her."

"What difference does it make?"

"Had I merely maimed her she could have involuntarily squeezed the trigger as a reaction. A kill shot was the only guarantee she would not fire off a round into you. Usually, it's straight to the brain, she'd be dead before she hit the ground."

"Ray didn't play with you," Christian said in awe.

"No… he didn't. I don't carry a gun much to his annoyance, but I do know how to use one if the need arises, until today I never thought it would."

"I'm so sorry." Christian apologized to a perplexed Ana.

"Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault the bitch went crazy." She said completely irritated at the notion of him apologizing.

"Sir, we are here." They both looked around and realized they were in the garage.

"Thank you, Taylor." Taking Ana's hand, they exited the car. He wrapped his arms around her waist as they waited for the elevator. He'd never been a needy guy but tonight he just couldn't stand any distance between them.

"Are you alright?" His need to be attached to her wasn't lost on her.

"She tried to have you killed, had it been a girl without Ray's training she'd be dead and in all likelihood so would I." The gravity of Elena's plans finally hit him with a force he could not comprehend.

"I am my father's daughter and her plan failed. We will celebrate that instead of speculating on the what ifs." Ana said emphatically.

"You are right." He chuckles.

"Of course, I am." She replies haughtily earning a laugh from him.


	14. Chapter 14

"David, answer that damn phone before I throw it out the window." His wife bellowed. With a groan, he rolled over and picked up his phone and sat up squinting at the screen. He didn't recognize the number, but at this time of the night, it was most likely a client or worse their spawn caught drink driving or worse with a class A drug.

"Hello." He answered with a sigh.

"David, it's Elena Lincoln." _Oh, lord help me._

"Mrs. Lincoln, what can I do for you at this hour?" He asked politely though he felt anything but.

"I need you down at Seattle Police Station… I'm being accused of attempted murder." _Of course, you are._

"Mrs. Lincoln what do you expect me to do at this hour. They are not going to question you till morning. I will be there first thing in the morning." He said with an exasperated sigh.

"Can't you get me out in the meantime." _Christ was she stupid or what._

"No Mrs. Lincoln I can't get you out in the meantime, a judge decides that, but I should let you know for an attempted murder charge it is highly unlikely."

"Just get here in the morning." David took a big sigh and stared at his phone jumping when it again rang.

"Hello." He answered.

"David Cress, Christian Grey." Why was he surprised, everyone knew Elena Lincoln had an in with him, so, of course, he'd call to make sure he was going to give the case his all.

"Mr. Grey, I will be at the police station first thing in the morning and try and get Mrs. Lincoln a bail hearing as soon as possible."

"Those are the very things I do not want you to do." _What!_ "Mr. Grey, I don't understand."

"Elena Lincoln tried to kill me." _There was a turn up for the books._

"Well, that changes everything. I believe you used my firm a few years ago on a case regarding an accountant stealing from one of your subsidiaries. Then I'm afraid under rules 1.7 and 1.9 of the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct I cannot represent Mrs. Lincoln as I have had dealings with you in the past. David knew Elena came first, but this was a thorny area in the law, which didn't have a straightforward answer. Hell, the partners will no doubt tell him to drop Elena. No one in their right mind went against Christian Grey. Elena Lincoln was going to be hard pressed to find a decent lawyer.

"Glad we have an understanding." Strangely David found himself smiling at the thought of not having to deal with that woman. The woman was so far up her ass it's a miracle she is still had a face.

* * *

"There is a hole in my hand, and you are carting me off to jail. I need to be in the hospital." Elena ranted as she was escorted to the police cruiser from Seattle General.

"Your hand has been treated, and you are fine. There is an infirmary at the WCCW they will keep an eye on it." The officer grumbled as he shoved her head inside the cruiser.

"Well, do I at least get to call my lawyer?" Elena asked with all the arrogance she could insert in her voice despite her position.

"You tried to kill Christian Grey… no lawyer can help you." The officer retorted.

Elena despite the outward appearance of someone who didn't care she was internally shaking with fear. How could she have been so stupid? What would she have gained from killing Christian? She'd still have nothing; she'd still be an outcast when it came to Seattle's elite, so what possessed her to think the solution to all her problems was to kill him. But then again thinking things through hadn't been a strong point since Anastasia fucking Steele came into the picture.

The girl had played her like a fiddle and worse she knew it and yet fell into her trap. The girl had warned her at the Grey's and for some reason, she had only made things easier for her. She pulled a gun on Christian, how in god's name was she going to get out of this. The look Isaac gave her told her he was going lay the blame squarely on her shoulders, and worse the girl was going to corroborate his story. She should have hired a professional to kill Anastasia; Christian would have been distraught, most likely turned to BDSM to help him cope with the grief. She would have been back in his life because he would have needed her to provide his subs.

Why didn't she think of this plan? It was too late for what ifs. Her best hope was to get bail, transfer every cent to an offshore account and get out of the US through Mexico.

She was happy to find she had missed the transport to the WCCW and would be spending the night at the police station.

"Wakey, wakey, your lawyer is here." Elena was wide-awake. How they expected anyone to sleep on the concrete slab they called a mattress was beyond her. Briefly forgetting about the bullet hole in her hand she braced her arms on the edge of the cot and stood up hissing as the pain shot through her arm. This was not how she expected to spend her Saturday morning. This was the morning her life should have taken a turn for the better.

Elena was escorted into the interrogation room for a few minutes with her lawyer before she would be questioned.

"David." Elena greeted sitting down with a sigh.

"Okay, first thing first thing... who are they accusing you of trying to kill?" David kept his features impassive, as a lawyer, it wasn't hard to do.

"Christian Grey," Elena mumbled.

"I'm sorry… did you say Christian Grey…. as in GEH Christian Grey, son of Carrick and Dr. Grace Grey." He asked his look of shock real as he still found it hard to believe. He'd heard the rumor from his wife that Elena had fallen out of favor with the Grey's. This morning as he expected his firm had decided to drop Elena Lincoln due to the conflict of interest.

"Do you know any other Christian Grey?" Elena retorted sarcastically.

"If that is the case I'm afraid I can't represent you." He said throwing his legal pad into his briefcase.

"What do you mean you can't represent me?" Elena barked.

"Conflict of interest. Christian Grey is a client, I believe he recommended our firm to you." David said shutting his case with a soft click.

"Wait a… a…. second…" Elena stuttered. "Why can't he find another firm?"

"Put yourself in my shoes would you as a lawyer pick you over Grey?" David didn't wait for an answer he stood up ready to leave the interrogation room as Elena sat there looking stunned. "Here is a list of some of the best firms in Seattle who can represent you as long as money isn't an issue." David offered though he knew it was a waste of time.

"No, it's not," Elena said confidently.

Elena looked at the list with a sigh and requested for a phone with an attitude that belied her position. One of these firms would surely take her on if just for the publicity.

"Mrs. Lincoln, I'm afraid I can't represent you as it represents a conflict of interest." Elena slammed down the phone. _What the fuck is going on… another firm refusing to represent me due to a conflict of interest._

* * *

"Who is her lawyer?" Carrick asked.

"Fleming, Whittaker, and Associates," Christian answered with a yawn that is father didn't pay attention to. He was just getting into the second round with Ana when Taylor banged on his door informing him that his father was coming up.

"Didn't you consult them a few years ago regarding that issue you had in the finance department?" Carrick wore a smile that had Christian raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah…" Christian answered with an air of uncertainty.

"It's what is called a conflict of interest, it's a tricky issue when it comes to the law, but no lawyer worth his salt will take on a client when the case would bring him in conflict with someone they have had dealings with."

"You're saying if I at any time called a firm and consulted them on representing GEH in the future…"

"They will not take on Elena as a client," Carrick said with a chuckle. Carrick knew a few firms would not take Elena's case simply because of him and Christian, but you could never be too certain as far as he was concerned.

"Dad, get a list ready, I'm going to wake up a few people." Christian bolted into his office and grabbed his MacBook. His phone was in the bedroom where Ana was gloriously naked thinking he would be back in bed in no time.

"I was beginning to think you've been held up." Ana murmured.

"And you would be right. My father is here, plans are afoot to make Elena Lincoln's attempt to defend her actions ever more impossible." Christian said with a smirk.

"You sound like Sherlock Holmes. Watson plans are afoot to dethrone the Queen." She teases with a giggle.

"I've never read the Sherlock Holmes stories, so I'll take your word for it."

"You should…" he chuckled planted a quick kiss on her lips. "By the way, did I tell you it's my birthday on Monday?" That stopped Christian in his tracks.

"We have to celebrate… I will put something together for the rest of the weekend. Get some sleep you have a busy weekend ahead of you." He said with a smile before jogging back to his father.

"I have cashed in a few favors and promised a few so these firms will not take her phone call. I know you said you have alleviated her of her finances, but you can never be too careful. These are the numbers you need to call, you are Christian Grey they will take your calls even at this hour." Carrick said confidently.

In less than an hour, every reputable firm despite the hour had already made the decision not to take Elena's phone call. Most were already aware of her crime and those that didn't already know, didn't want to earn the ire of the Grey's. "It's good to be me sometimes." Christian chortled as he hung up on the final call.

"He agreed," Carrick asked surprised.

"Yes, his wife was at the gallery and saw the entire episode. I thought their association with Linc might be an issue, but apparently, it's not. I didn't ask why." Christian says with a shrug.

"No money and no reputable defense attorney Elena is going down I'm going to make sure of it. Your mom after delivering that slap now wants Elena dead." Carrick chuckles. "Time for me to head home and calm my raging wife."

"Sure dad," Christian says laughing.

Instead of going back to bed Christian headed for his office to make arrangements for the weekend. Unfortunately due to Elena's attempts to kill him and Ana he knew he had to be close in case the police needed any further information. _He stopped making the reservation and shut his eyes. Why the fuck am I rearranging my life to accommodate Elena fucking Lincoln. If I want to take my girl out of town for her birthday, then I will._

He spent years confiding in that woman, considered her a good friend and the entire time she simply saw him as her meal ticket. Who would have thought she would become so unglued when she lost her hold on him. He shuddered to think what his life would have been like had he not met Ana.

"Are you coming to bed?" He looked up surprised to find her standing in his office doorway.

"I was just finishing up here." He shut his MacBook and put it aside.

"Would that have anything to do with our weekend?" She asked sitting down next to him.

"No, I thought a weekend at The Fairmount initially but decided a trip out of town would be much more fun. I was thinking a long weekend or do you have to be back…"

"Fuck no, Monday is my actual day of birth so no I'm not working, and my father knows that. Anyway, we have a new senior editor, two junior ones, and a copywriter, they can hold down the fort for a few days."

"A few days?" Christian asked excitedly.

"Yep, I'm taking a few days off." She said with a smile.

"Excellent." He said rubbing his palms together.

"What is the plan?" she asked throwing her legs onto his lap.

"It's a surprise." He answered.

"I'm not a fan of surprises." She countered.

"You'll love this surprise."

"I can get you to tell me." She purred her foot grazing his cock.

"If you plan to use sex you'd be wasting your time." He retorted with a groan as she put more pressure on his cock.

"Oh, I don't know… I'm willing to risk it." His phone rang and without looking at the caller ID he answered.

"José." He answered. "You've found me a…?" Ana snatched the phone before he could say anymore

"José, call back in the morning." she tossed his phone aside.

"José calling me just reminded me of an incident in college."

"Oh?" He asked with a chuckle thinking she'd moved on.

She climbed onto his lap, her bathrobe falling open to reveal her in all her glory.

"A real painful incident with a hard-on that just wouldn't go away." _Well, fuck me sideways._

"Baby I just want to show you what you mean to me. Just once if you don't like it in the slightest, then there will be no more surprises. Well, except for when I propose." Fuck if that didn't catch her off guard.

"Oh… okay." Her voice was the softest he'd ever heard it.

"Now let's take care of my hard on." He said freeing himself and maneuvering her over his cock. Any protestation died the moment her walls gripped his cock. "Yes." A low hiss left his lips as her heat surrounded him.

* * *

"Wow, José… this is perfect." Christian said in awe. "Now I have to wonder what I'm paying my realtor for." He added annoyed. The house would need a lot of work, but that was ideal as he could have it renovated to his liking or rather Josés'. He likes what he did to Ana's apartment.

"I don't think this will stay on the market for a long time."

"I agree." He said fishing out his phone.

"How long have been looking?" Ana asked José while Christian made his phone call.

"Since he mentioned looking for a place. He seems to have lost his desire to stay secluded in his white and glass box.

"I don't blame him," Ana said lowly.

"Okay, Elliot will meet you there with the realtor. If everything is to your liking, you can purchase it. They are expecting you." Christian said much to Ana's surprise.

"Just like that." She asked.

"It's exactly what I've been looking for." He said with a shrug. "Elliot works with an architect who can..."

"Architect." José scoffed. "I don't think so. Waste of money even if you a lot of it. The structure is already there the rest I can do with my eyes closed. I have an eye for detail you know." He said with an air of haughtiness that had Christian chuckling. "You two have a plane to catch so I will not hold you up any further. Annie Oakley, enjoy your birthday, and I will call you on Monday." With that, he breezed out of the great room.

"Annie Oakley" Christian repeated struggling to keep his composure. Just fucking perfect." He laughed as Ana glared at him.

* * *

"I don't want a lawyer. What do you want to know?" Isaac sat back with a blasé attitude that surprised the detectives.

"Who came up with the plan to kill Christian Grey and Miss. Steele?" Detective Michaels asked.

"Mrs. Lincoln has been obsessed with Mr. Grey for some time, but he only ever saw her as a friend. Mr. Grey had always looked to her for advice and help but at the beginning of the year that changed when Grey met his girlfriend. Then a couple of months ago it became rather apparent that Mr. Grey didn't want Mrs. Lincoln around. She said it because Mr. Grey's girlfriend didn't like her so he kowtowed to her and kept Mrs. Lincoln at a distance. Her words." Isaac added with a wry smile.

"Was that why she wanted Miss. Steele out of the way?"

"Yes, the plan was to shoot her and leave out the window in the bathroom. It was only when I had the gun pointed at her that I realized there was no way out except the door where her security was. Miss. Steele also realized this and pointed out the flaws in the plan, not only that but that the flaw was deliberate. She set me up to kill Miss. Steele knowing full well I would not get away with it. I'm not sure why she wanted to kill Mr. Grey… it doesn't make sense to kill him. Wish that had occurred to me from the get go." He grumbled.

"Why agree to kill Miss. Steele?"

"She promised me money," Isaac answered with a shrug.

"Write down everything you just told us. I'm sure the DA will make sure the courts know you cooperated."

"Oh, there is a video in her office at her house. She records every meeting… it has audio." Isaac added with a smirk. Despite going to jail, the thought that Elena Lincoln was likely to die behind bars was worth it.

The detectives and DA reviewed the video and smiled knowing this was just the smoking gun they needed. It was no longer he said she said. "Let's go deliver the good news." Detective Michaels said with a smirk.

"Mrs. Lincoln, we have you on tape planning the killing of Mr. Grey and Miss. Steele. That is all we need." Elena stared at the laptop in front of her even though the surveillance video had long stopped playing.

"Is there a deal on the table?" Her public defender asked.

"I didn't do anything I was just trying to talk some sense into him. I needed him to listen." Elena defended.

"Mrs. Lincoln, you bought a gun, made extensive plans and what about Miss. Steele."

"Same… just trying to scare the wench off," Elena answered flippantly. "People say shi... stuff all the time and don't mean it." She added.

"There is substantial evidence that you took action to kill Mr. Grey and have your accomplice kill Miss. Steele. You drag this out in court, and I can assure you, you will lose, and spent the rest of your days in prison. Do the sensible thing and admit to your crimes here and now, save the city the cost of going to trial and you serve some time and still have some semblance of a life." The DA tried.

"I had no intention of killing anybody, and I'm not going to admit to it." The public defender looked at Elena like the crazed woman she was.

"Have it your way." The DA shook her head in disbelief before walking out.

"Have you lost your mind?" The public defender asks. "They have you hook, line and sinker." He added.

Elena didn't answer she just sat there with a serene smile. "Now I need you to deliver a letter to Carrick Grey at his firm."


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: I want to thank you for all the follows, favorites and reviews. This is the penultimate chapter. Let me know if you want to see what happens to Elena or if it should just be mentioned in conversation.**

"First girl you fancied. Let's be honest, the minute you guys hit puberty you start noticing breast. Your first pair."

"Seriously, my first pair," Christian says struggling to compose himself.

"Yes, the first pair of tits you noticed," Ana asks again.

"Debbie Stanton… and from what I heard she liked me too, but I was so scared of lashing out if she inadvertently touched my no-go areas I ignored her."

"First girl you wanted to blow you."

"Fuck Ana… really."

"Yes really." She said nudging him with her foot. Her foot had been on his lap since the fasten seatbelt sign went off.

"Sarah Michelle Gellar." Ana looked on stunned.

"As in the actress Sarah Michelle Gellar."

"The one and only." He answered with a chuckle. "Have you ever seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" He asked though he did not wait for an answer. "Elliot was obsessed with that show, so I sat down one afternoon and watched it with him and I was hooked... though I made sure no one knew about it. I wanted those lips around my cock. Not going to lie I wanted my cock in her." He said with a chuckle.

"Wow, I didn't expect that." She laughs

"There was a picture of her in a magazine; it was a British publication. This kid in school brought it back from his holiday. She had a stake in her hand and looked like she was crawling towards you. That afternoon I broke into his locker and stole the magazine." He admits without shame. "Hey, my imagination only got me so far. I needed it more than he did. He was getting blow jobs from some cheerleader and I only had my hand."

"What happened after that?"

"He made such a fuss about it when he couldn't find it. He wanted every student searched, he was told it was only a magazine and to get over it. It made my day." He adds laughing.

"Okay, Harvard." He didn't miss the fact that Ana completely skipped over Elena. Well, not completely Harvard involved Elena.

"My study partner." He paused looking out the window. "She was beautiful and brilliant. Despite that, she was just my research partner, but then one late night in my room we just talked something I never did. At this point, I had come to know her well enough to talk. The more we talked, the more I found myself itching to just hold her hands together and fuck her. She saw the look in my eyes, and she didn't mind, we were sat there staring at each other when she walked in..." All he did at Harvard was study and row; maybe he had enjoyed the fun aspect of what college had to offer he would have been more inclined to stay. Whatever Elena says, without her he'd still have GEH, he would just have started two years later.

"Okay, your turn."

"My turn for what," Ana asks innocently.

"First boy you…" A knock on the door interrupted him.

"Mr. Grey, would you please take your seat…" the fasten seatbelt sign came on. Ana looked out the window hoping to see the skyline of wherever they were going. They moved back to the main cabin and fastened their seatbelts. Ana's eyes remained glued to the window.

"There is a hole in the window," Ana said surprised having never noticed it on any plane.

"There is a hole in every window; it's the middle pane."

"Why?" She asked absentmindedly.

"Equilibrium… without it, the air pressure in the cabin would be too high for us to survive especially on a long haul flight. As well as helping with pressure differential. The pressure differential between the air outside and the air in the cabin is too great; it will put too much strain on the structure. They are called breathing holes."

"You learn something new every day," Ana mumbled.

"Now, let's get back…" A squeal cut him short.

"We are in New York..." Ana squealed in utter delight.

"Yes… the scene of the crime so to speak." Christian chuckled.

Ana slammed her lips on his in an utterly indecent kiss; he moaned giving her access to his mouth, her tongue massaging his. They stopped as the need for air became too great.

* * *

"I've got the bags," Christian said with a smirk as Taylor reluctantly handed them over.

"Sir, do not…"

"Taylor we will not venture outside the apartment door without notifying you first," Christian said in a military-like response due to Taylor's stance.

"Good." Was Taylor's reply as he hit the elevator button.

"I thought security stayed in the apartment?" Ana asked surprised to find Taylor heading back down.

"Usually, but then I've never had a girl stay with me in my apartment, and this also happens to be a holiday and strictly so."

"What has that got to do…" she chuckled lightly when it occurred to her.

"I want you on every surface and having security in the apartment just doesn't do." He said opening the door to his penthouse apartment. He made a point of locking the door behind them. "You are not leaving this time." His look and the menacing tone had her insides clenching.

He dropped the bags and attacked her; he walked her backward until her back hit a wall. His lips unrelenting as he kissed her, his tongue ravishing hers till she could no longer think clearly. He tore her panties off, lifted her up and had his cock in her in one swift move. She groaned at the feel of him. He had been worked up since that kiss on the plane and by how wet she was he knew she was in the same place. He pulled out slowly and slammed back in, stilled for a few seconds before he repeated the move, but this time, he didn't wait. He buried his head in her neck; he had Ana pinned against the wall, his punishing rhythm driving her closer and closer to the edge. She damn near came off the wall when she came pulling on his hair to somehow negate some of that pleasure coursing down her spine.

Christian pulled out sharply, his cock wet with her juices. He pulled her dress over her head and pulled her bra down releasing her breast. His lips quickly descended on her nipples sucking and flicking them with his tongue. He alternated between her them dragging his lips across the two. His fingers took over where his lip had vacated. Ana was struggling to remain standing, and that got worse when Christian hauled one leg over this shoulder. He languidly lapped at her juices, his tongue parting her lips to the soft inner flesh. "Oh… please, Christian… please." She pleaded. What she was pleading for was anyone's guess.

"I've got you." He said all the same. He loved her to a degree he couldn't put words to. He needed to make her happy, every part of him ached to make her happy every minute of every day, and though he knew it was impossible, it didn't stop him from trying. He loved her giggle, her soft chuckle when she found something amusing, the way she bit her lip in concentration, these days he knew she did it to get him worked up.

Her moans, whimpers, and nonsensical utterances drove him on, her pleasure was all he cared about. He wanted to hear her, and this weekend he would. If he was honest with himself her joy was his joy, her satisfaction was his satisfaction. Right now Christian Grey lived for Anastasia Steele. His life was hers and for once in his life he didn't mind not having control. Shit, he never had it anyway.

Christian…" she shook as her orgasm was ripped from her.

Christian had to hold her as legs had given up on her. He carried her to the bedroom, stripped off in record time and laid beside her gently caressing her body. To his surprise, Ana climbed on top of him and rested her body on his. In slow, deliberate movement, she maneuvered his cock inside her and slowly pushed herself down till his cock was buried in her. She sat up and started a slow grind that had him clutching the sheets for dear life. He was close to coming and had been for some time, he wasn't going to last, and they both knew it.

"Ana…" he croaked, his voice barely able to withstand the pleasure. This was new to him; he had been on the edge many times. Most of the time he put himself there, but this, her body, her breathing, that feral look in her eyes as she stared at him with so much love was too much. No man could withstand it, and he didn't, he came hard his toes curling, his knuckles white from clutching the sheets. All the while her eyes boring into him, watching him fall apart beneath her.

She leaned down caressing his face, running her fingers through his air, planting soft feather like kisses all over his face. "I love you." She said softly in his ears. She chuckled when she felt him twitch within her.

"I love you too." He breathed.

"What is the plan?" She asked as playing with the tufts of hair on his chest.

"Well, tonight I thought we'd go out for dinner… and you can tell me just how you manage to get Elena to show me her true colors?"

* * *

"Mr. Grey." Carrick turns around to see a young man in an ill-fitting suit running towards him.

"How can I help you?"

"My name is Jared Bowman, I have a letter for you from Mrs. Lincoln." In a move that surprises Jared, Carrick opens the letter in front of him and reads it.

Without a word and a smirk that has Jared feeling a little disconcerted Carrick got in his car and headed home _. Grace is going to lose her mind._

 _Carrick_

 _My influence in Seattle was vital to the success of Christian's empire, an empire that could crumble in a blink of an eye. I will admit some of the issues that may arise were in part my fault, as I failed to inform him of some unscrupulous individuals in the lifestyle. Before becoming a Dom, Christian visited some clubs that although promised secrecy were far from doing so. In fact most secretly recorded sessions that would later be used in blackmail. NDAs are so vital to the lifestyle, but Christian didn't always use them, some of these girls he practiced with at the time did not care who he was, but later he became so huge a lot felt it was time to cash in._

 _I have kept these people away, I have in my own way ensured that they kept quiet. Without me, they have no reason to do so. It's in your best interest to get me out of here or else Christian Grey will find his life turned upside down. Make sure Christian is here tomorrow to discuss how we will deal with the issues he has caused. Get me out or face the consequences._

"The bitch has lost her mind." Grace sneered.

"You have to admit she is smart, she didn't sign it, she is not threatening him directly. Crazy, but smart."

"So what she's saying is if Christian doesn't get her out she will expose his former lifestyle to the world."

"That's precisely what she's saying," Carrick says.

"How exactly is she going to do that? She has no friends, her toy boy has turned on her." Grace asks infuriated.

"That is what I intend to find out. I spoke to Taylor she had a hidden safe with a considerable amount of money and pictures of Christian in some compromising position. He got his hands on the evidence months ago, so I know she has no proof of her threats.

* * *

"Carrick, not the Grey I was expecting, but you are a Grey none the less." Carrick found Elena's attitude rather amusing. Elena really thought she's finally played the right card.

"I got your letter, and I thought I'd come down personally and address it." Carrick's blasé attitude went over Elena's head as she basked in what she thought was her imminent freedom.

"There is only one thing you can do for me…" Elena leaned forward and bared her teeth. "Get. Christian. Here."

"Christian is on holiday with his girlfriend. The ring is something to behold." For a split second, Elena lost her composure.

She balled her fist under the table. _He's going to propose to that wench… that should be me. I did everything to make myself indispensable in his life only for some nobody to come… and in a blink of an eye take it all from me._ "Well, give him this message. If he's not here by tomorrow, he'll wake up Thursday and find his dirty little secret isn't a secret anymore." She seethed.

"Pray tell exactly how you plan to reveal his secret to the world," Carrick asked.

"Carrick Grey, meet my lawyer he's a little green, but I'm sure he can deliver my story to the necessary…" Elena stopped and glared at her public defender as he kept kicking her. Whatever she was about to say to him was lost when Carrick let out a sinister chuckle and stood up.

"That was all I needed to know…. thanks." He said walking out.

"What!" Elena turned to her lawyer in confusion.

"You just threw away the one card you had left. I have no proof of Grey's secret; therefore if I go to the press, Carrick will know exactly who did because you told him. Whichever publication would be willing to publish your story without proof would already be opening themselves up to a lawsuit. There is freedom of speech, but without proof it is libel. Grey can say you are a scorned woman who is trying to defame his character. He will know exactly who to come after, and considering my career is just starting out… I am not about to become the idiotic lawyer that got sued by Grey. I'm not going to open the public defender's office to a suit that would make an already maligned office…" Jared rubbed his face and turned to face the woman who he was sure was in some way mentally unwell. "Your letter was cryptic enough, but revealing I would be the one delivering the story is, unfortunately, the final nail in the coffin. It's one thing to suspect someone, it's an entirely different matter knowing it's them." Jared couldn't believe it yesterday he had hope. He would become the man that got Elena Lincoln released even though she was charged with attempted murder on Christian Grey of all people. He would have had his choice of firms to pick from. Her need to gloat and posturize had cost them both dearly.

"Are you sure there was nothing in the safe?" Elena asked again feeling the last remnants of her hope slipping away.

"I'm sure, the safe in the floor underneath your desk. It was completely empty; there was not a piece of lint to be found. Someone emptied your safe out. When was the last time you checked it?"

"It's been a while. It was my rainy day stash… I avoided going near it in case I inexplicably gave away its position."

"It appears you did." He found himself exasperated by the woman who should have taken the deal the DA's office offered. Right now she should be praying the deal was still on the table. "You should take the deal…" Elena nodded without looking up. She didn't want to cry in front of him or anybody else for that matter. She'd wait until she was firmly ensconced in her cell and bemoan her life or rather lack off.

There was a lot of talking going on around her, but she didn't hear any of it. She felt numb to her new reality. Despite everything she told Christian, she loved him like no other, a love she didn't know she was capable of. Except he never returned it, never felt anything akin to love for her. What he felt was gratitude and that she knew had long ago lost the power it gave her over him. In reality, she was never his friend, his Dom, sub, business partner, a high-class pimp, but a pimp nonetheless. "MRS. LINCOLN." She snapped out of her daze and lifted her head looking at no one in particular. "There will be a hearing to make all this official. You plead guilty; the court will recognize you saving the state the cost of going to trial. You've made the right decision." The DA mumbled before walking out.

"Twenty years… with good behavior, you'll be out in ten." Jared informed her just as the officer came into cart her of back to her cell.

"Wait, where are you taking me?" Elena asked when she finally realized they were headed the wrong way.

"You've been transferred to gen pop." The guard mumbled.

"Why?" Elena's voice was laced with trepidation.

"Don't know… warden's orders.

* * *

"Mr. Grey, how are you?" Aida greeted Carrick with a smile and gratitude he had come to expect.

"Hello Aida, I am well. I left a package for you. I have got letters from your family. I should tell you though Ken would have most likely told you himself in the letter or when he came to visit, but he got a place at Washington State." Carrick said with a smile.

"Oh, my." Aida sang with glee. In the privacy of a single visit room with her lawyer, she could freely laugh. Being the boss in a prison meant showing this kind of emotion wasn't something she did all too often.

"There is a... woman being transferred to your wing as we speak. She is something of a known pedophile." Carrick said with a look Aida knew all too well.

Aida let out a chuckle that still made Carrick uncomfortable after all these years. "For you… anything." Aida had children, she was here because of the lengths she went through protecting her children. If she had been fortunate enough to have had Carrick has a lawyer during her trial she wouldn't be here.

Carrick shrugged his suit jacket off folding it with care over the head of the passenger seat before getting in and setting off. He knew perfectly well he had broken the law revealing Elena as a pedophile, but some people just needed to be thought a lesson.


	16. Chapter 16

"Ana and I went to New York for her birthday." Christian finally said after ten minutes of complete silence where he merely stared out the window. "It was her birthday on Monday." He added with a sigh.

"Didn't you two meet in New York?" Flynn asked fostering conversation. Though he knew Ana's birthday celebration wasn't the reason Christian requested for a two-hour session.

"Yeah, that is why I thought going to New York would be a nice surprise… and it was. She squealed like a little girl when she saw the New York skyline on our descent." He added with a beaming smile. "She also got rid of Elena." That got Flynn's attention.

"Got rid of Elena?" Flynn inquired knowing Christian didn't simply mean Ana's presence was the reason Elena was no longer in his life.

"Yep, there was an entire operation. Operation Get Rid of the Bitch." Flynn was surprised by Christian's chuckle. "Ana talks in her sleep. Most of the time it's imperceptible, but on Thursday night my father came to see me after Elena's attempts to kill me. We made great inroads in putting a few roadblocks up when it came to Elena defending her actions. I told Ana about it… I was almost out when I heard her mutter 'Operation Get Rid of the Bitch is a success.'"

"I see." Was all Flynn said.

"Believe me you don't and neither did I, I spent most of the night trying to figure out where and when this operation took place. How it happened, who was involved and for the life of me I couldn't figure it out. Eventually, I gave up and fell asleep."

"The kind of man you are won't be satisfied with not knowing. Ask Ana, ask before your mind turns it into something it's not. I would advise you to keep your temper in check." Christian laughed at Flynn's grave look. Yes, John Flynn was scared Christian was going to fall back into old habits if this issue wasn't resolved soon.

"Don't look so worried, I already did." Christian smiled smugly.

"What!?"

"On Friday I suggest we go to dinner, and she tells me what exactly and who was involved. She had me swear an oath on our love never to ask anyone else involved… well, except for José who apparently had been dying to tell me just how brilliant the whole thing was and fuck me it was." Flynn was completely taken aback by Christian's demeanor. He had an almost childlike glee about it.

"Would you believe it started the very day I told Ana about Elena. I had inadvertently mentioned Elena's name while trying to placate Ana about her presence in my life. Her ready acceptance of Elena as long as I kept Elena away from her should have clued me into it. That night Elena turned up at the apartment because I had missed our standing appointment at the Mile High. Taylor let her up just to watch me throw her out. That was him planting the seed into Elena's mind…"

"As to her place in your life." Flynn finished with a look of admiration.

"The next morning when I thought she was leaving she was trying to get Gail to tell her Elena's last name, but Taylor handed her a flash drive with everything he had on Elena."

"Who else was involved?" Flynn situated himself in a more comfortable position.

"Gail, Andrea, José and in the latter stages Franco. When José realized he actually liked him, he was honest with him about why he had shown interest in the first place."

"Okay start from the beginning." Christian regaled Flynn with everything Ana had told him. "So you inadvertently took part without realizing it." Flynn laughed heartedly.

"Inviting Franco onto The Grace, selling him Esclava... yep, I took part in the operation."

"It is impressive…" Flynn murmured. "I mean think about it. She did all that without once pushing you to get rid of her, she simply opened your eyes to the truth and let you do as you saw fit. It took you a month after you decided to get rid of the bitch…" Both Flynn and Christian chuckled. "To actually do it and not once did she push."

"I told her why it had taken me so long to do it, and she understood. Her declaring her love for me was just the catalyst in my taking action. In the end, I not only had her but my family as well. Everyone that mattered knew my secret in its entirety and loved me all the same." Flynn saw the anger beginning to rear its head, but he wasn't concerned. It was anger towards Elena and the years he'd lost because of her machinations.

"No use crying over spilled milk."

"Indeed." Christian murmured. "The old me would have been apoplectic… I would have stormed out of the restaurant after saying some vile, hurtful things. I would have spent hours thinking of all the ways I could punish her. What occurred to me was just how blind I had been. Without meeting Elena, Ana saw her for what she was. Why didn't I listen to you?" Christian asked with a sigh.

"Some people need to see things for themselves. Hence, the reason Ana went about it the way she did. She could have simply asked you to choose, but instead, she let you make a choice…"

"That is what Ana said. Her initial thought was to tell me to choose, but she feared resentment would have crept in later."

"Do you agree?" Flynn asked.

"Yes. Elena kept going on about how Ana was destroying years of friendship, and I was kowtowing to her demands. Had she forced me to choose, I would have believed that because that would have been what it looked like." Christian admitted shamefully.

"You have nothing to be shameful about. The likes of Elena are masters of manipulation." Flynn sat back with a wry smile. "She is some woman, your Ana. Have you ever heard of the irresistible force paradox?" Christian shook his head. "What happens when an unstoppable force…"

"Meets an immovable object? Is that what it's called?" Flynn nodded. "I always found that paradox to be flawed."

"That is because it is flawed," Flynn admitted.

"Is there a particular reason we are talking about a flawed paradox?" Christian asked looking bemused.

"Because that paradox applies to you. Elena considered herself an immovable object in your life, out of nowhere comes an unstoppable force or vice versa... either way she didn't have the hold she thought she did."

Christian burst into laughter and had to admit it was a perfect way to describe Ana's removal of Elena from his life. "A perfect description." This was the most lighthearted session he'd ever had.

"Did you ever watch the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I realize it was not aimed at you…"

"I saw it… I will admit I was more partial to Angel." Flynn admits with a chuckle.

"So was Ana, her childhood crush was Angel."

"Tall, dark and brooding. Yeah, I can see why." Flynn teased.

"The strange thing is my first biggest crush was Buffy, a girl who kicked ass and didn't take shit from anyone."

"A girl like Ana," Flynn said what he couldn't verbalize.

"I'm trying very hard not to remain angry about what she did to me…"

"Understandable, but don't let it rule you or take more than a second of your thought. What did you do after Ana told you everything?

"We walked out of the restaurant hand in hand after a lovely dessert course. The moment we got into the car, I attacked her… sexually I mean." Christian felt the need to clarify.

"Yes, I got that." Flynn looked amused more than anything else.

"Truth be told I don't even know why I'm here," Christian admitted.

"You needed to talk it out. Verbalizing can do wonders to how we perceive a given situation. How was the rest of your time in New York?"

"It was good." Christian aimed for nonchalance, but his voice betrayed him. Frankly, he couldn't think about New York without sporting an erection.

* * *

Flynn had opened a can of words, and he found it hard to close it. New York had been the best vacation he ever took, not that he'd ever taken one since the inception of GEH. The ride home from the restaurant he thought would take all of fifteen minutes, except they found themselves in standstill traffic. Thank God for privacy screens and music. They fucked in the backseat like two people who hadn't had any in years. He had surprised her by taking her back to the club he first saw her, this time, it was an entirely different experience. They danced, made out in the VIP lounge and ended a long night at the private club, where they had sex in the private bathroom. Every outing ended with them trying to find some place to make out. And if… he jumped when he felt a hand on his cock. "Shit Ana." He groaned.

"Andrea tells me you are free, and I come in here to find you daydreaming with an erection that should be for my eyes only." She teased.

"I'm very sorry Miss. Steele, you are right, but in my defense, our week in NYC is making life… difficult." His eyes lighting up at her barely controlled demeanor.

"Don't get any ideas, Grey." She growled. "I brought lunch."

"Oh." He says disappointedly.

"I'm more than happy to eat both subs if that's the way you are going to behave."

"My cock hurts." He muttered petulantly earning an eye roll in response.

He wolfed down his lunch waiting anxiously for her to be done. "Come to mine after work José is barbecuing on the balcony. You can spend the weekend, although I do have to warn you José is all about your house." He will later admit he barely heard her as he was simply waiting to have sex. " I will see you later."

"Wait! What?" Ana stopped wondering if she's missed something. "What about…" he pointed to his groin area. "Please baby." He purred.

"I have a meeting with my dad and Roach in ten minutes. I will take care of you tonight. Hell, I need taking care of." She kissed him quickly. "Love you." _Tonight… my cock will have fallen off by then._

* * *

"Bro," Elliot called from the balcony.

"What are you doing here?" He didn't hide his ire.

"José wanted to go over a few things for the house. He wants to check out some possibilities. Bro, he is good." _I know that; hence having him design the house._

"Where is Ana?" He asked trying to temper down on his annoyance. Ana wouldn't stand for it and really didn't need to be in the doghouse today of all days. Right after Ana left his office, he got a call from Carrick that Elena had accepted a plea deal and had officially being sentenced.

"Hey, baby." She greeted him with a smile.

"Hey, Elena was officially sentenced today… twenty years." He said collapsing on the chaise lounge in her closet. Ana stood before him, and he wrapped his arms around her.

"How do you feel?" She runs her fingers through his hair.

"I wanted her to die in prison."

"So did I," Ana admitted without shame. "In five years you and I will be married with the pitter patter of tiny feet. In ten years time, we will be dealing with slightly bigger feet with attitude." Christian chuckled tickling her skin. "In twenty, we will most likely be dropping off our first born off at college. We will enjoy our lives, we will enjoy each other, and our family while she will be stuck with the same four walls day in day out. She will not be paroled, with the kind of influence your family has she will serve every minute of that time."

"I'd like to enjoy you now." He purred.

"And he's back." Ana chuckled moving away from him or trying to at least. "Christian we have guests."

"I don't care." He mumbled petulantly.

"Christian…" she made the mistake of straddling his lap.

"Hmm-mm…" he groaned holding her firmly to him.

"Annie." José knocked on her bedroom door.

"So he does know how to knock." Ana chuckled.

"Well, who knows what's going on in there?" José countered having heard Ana's comment. Christian reluctantly released her.

"You might want to ask Annie what she wants before you prepare a plate for her," José advised Christian as he had a plate of grilled fish and roasted veg for Ana. In a few minutes, he will wonder why he didn't listen to José, a man who had known her since she a little thing running around her parent's backyard.

Ana strolled in grabbing an empty plate, her mouth had been watering at the prospect of having one or three of José steaks.

"I got you a plate." He grumbled as if she should expect that.

"Next time don't." She answered nonchalantly little realizing the anger brewing in him.

"Ana, just take the plate. It's a waste of food everyone has already eaten." He barked.

"If you had bothered to ask me I would have told you I hated fish." She bit back.

"You hate fish." His tone clearly told her he didn't believe her. "Ray fishes all the time." He argued, and immediately surmised it was the very reason for her hatred of fish.

"Precisely why I hate fish." She snarled before walking away from him.

"Why didn't I listen to you?" Christian asked José.

"You've lived a certain life for some years, no one can expect you to change old ingrained habits in a matter of months. What would be an issue is you not learning from moments like this." With a nod, Christian leaned over the balcony picking at his food.

José cleared his throat getting his attention. "Man candy, go apologize, don't stand there feeling sorry for yourself. Go…. Rico suave all over her." He waved him away.

He wrapped his free arm around her waist and buried his face into her neck. "I'm sorry baby, next time I will not assume making an ass of myself. " His smooth voice was enough to have her melting into him. "I'm still learning, please be patient with me." He crooned.

"I know what I want and need and what I don't. Same as you, I don't make assumptions for you don't make them for me. You are forgiven." Hell, she couldn't hold a grudge if she tried. The man was still learning, he had avoided attachment for over a decade. Time was what he needed to learn and change those habits that had no place in a relationship.

"I will make it up to you." _Oh, you will._

And he did helping José who couldn't stop giggling clean the balcony after the barbecue. _Whatever happened to make up sex?_

* * *

Something didn't feel right. She needed to get back to the detention area of the prison and quickly. "Hey newbie, you've got a couple of hours out here, so I suggest you come make the best of it," Aida advised with a smile.

Elena tentatively made her way over to the metal chairs and tables bolted to the floor. _Everything is bolted to something around here._ "I was in the detention area, and I was moved here for no reason."

"Have you struck a deal with the DA?" Another prisoner asked.

"Yeah."

"Then you are where you are meant to be. Your time here has officially started."

"Oh," Elena said.

"I'm Cheryl by the way." There was a round of introductions. Elena shook hands with the likes she never thought she would meet. She felt a desperate need to wash her hands, but putting on airs was not the way to go. These guys have welcomed her with open arms. She didn't fail to notice the respect everyone else was paying Aida.

"So what are you in for?" Aida asked although she already knew Elena's history and more.

"Attempted murder," Elena whispered.

"Same here." Mercy or Marta said with a cheer as though it was something to be proud of. That night Elena slept better than she expected, life in prison wasn't what she expected. She had been welcomed into a group that was evidently respected. She felt safe, protected. Little did she know she was being lured into a false sense of security.

Her first week in gen pop didn't seem too bad; she got garden duty, which she loathed, but it got her out of her cell for more than a couple of hours a day. She had been hoping for a job in the hairdressers, but that didn't happen. She was told to do her best, and in time she could ask to be given a different job. "Hey, Elena, could you grab me a shovel from the shed?" Marta asked. She was the newbie and usually found herself being told to do stuff. As much as she hated being bossed around in here, it was her reality, and she accepted it.

She came to an abrupt halt in the shed when she found two prisoners she didn't know. " Hey." She greeted, her voice belying her confident stance. She got a nod and went about looking for the shovel. A tap on her shoulder had her turning only to be met with what felt like a sledgehammer. Standing was not much of an option, yet she knew being on the ground was a death sentence. She soon felt another blow to her face, it loosens a couple of teeth. The next one broke her nose. She was conscious for the next five punches that she knew had destroyed years of plastic surgery.

Aida got a surreptitious nod from Belinda as she exited the tool shed. Two inmates having a war of words had distracted the guard's attention. It was a very well-organized ambush where the culprit would never be found.

Elena didn't know how long she'd been out for, but when she woke up, she quickly realized she could only see out of one eye. She tried to investigate only to have a hand stop her. " Your eye is severely infected, we are working to save it, but it's not looking good. You have a broken nose, a few loose teeth in the back; as for your face, we will know more when the discoloration subsides. Two broken ribs and we had to remove one of the silicon implants, it was leaking. We had to take you out to the hospital to get that done. It was rather costly, and the warden is not happy." She knew a great deal of force had to be applied to puncture a silicon implant giving her an idea of how bad the attack was. She was sure Aida was seeking justice on her behalf.

Two weeks later she was released from the infirmary. She found out she had officially being sentenced in absentia. Apparently, she had waived that right when she struck the deal with the DA's office. Not that she remembered much of what was said that day. "Elena, welcome back. We will talk later." Cheryl said in a whisper. Elena smiled knowing they had her back. She dropped a plastic bag of clothes on the floor and avoided looking into the small mirror above the washbasin. She made her way to the main room.

"Who was it?" Aida asked in low, calm voice.

"I couldn't tell if you sat them in front of me," Elena growled missing the smirk on Marta's face.

"The next time you walk in somewhere and one of us isn't in the room walk the fuck back out." Another in the group advised. She nodded in understanding.

Five weeks later Elena would consider herself healed. She still had difficulty looking at herself in the mirror and avoided the showers with the other women. She had always been proud of her body but the damage done in the assault had left her feeling conscious and ashamed. That had led to one of the worst decisions she could ever make, deciding to go shower first thing in the morning while everyone had breakfast. Enjoying the feel of hot water against her body, she had forgotten where she was.

The shock and surprise when her head hit the concrete wall brought back her reality in the cruelest of fashions. The beating she took was worse than the first one.

"I found you in the showers," Cheryl told her after spending six weeks in the infirmary.

"You don't listen do you?" Aida growled. Elena avoided her stare knowing she had been stupid. She'd lost count of the number of times she'd been told not to go anywhere on her own.

It took five more attacks in less than a year for Elena to realize what was going on. "You were behind it." It wasn't a question.

"Isn't that what you do to little boys…" Elena paled looking around. "Show them affection one minute beating them black and blue the next. Just giving you a taste of your own medicine without the sex. I couldn't find anyone willing to fuck that cunt." Aida said with indifference.

"It was one boy, and he needed help. She defended her actions.

"Don't care why you did it, you did it… that is all I care about." It was psychological torture. Pretending for almost a year to care for her all the while orchestrating the beating she had endured. She was unrecognizable from head to tow. "Your refusal to take responsibility for your actions will be the death of you," Aida growled menacingly before leaving Elena sat alone. _I'm not going to make it out of here alive._

* * *

"Mr. and Mrs. Grey." The DJ announced as he walked Ana onto the dance floor for their first. They swayed on the dance floor to Elvis Costello's She. The words of that song embodied everything Ana was to him. She held his heart in the palm of her hands. She had the ability to elevate him or crush him, she really could turn each day into a heaven or a hell.

"Why are you watching that again," Ana asked snapping him out of his reverie.

"One of the best days of my life." He answers pulling her to him. After eight months of dating, he proposed and she cheerfully accepted. Again he took her to New York and proposed on the roof garden above his penthouse. The space had sat empty because he didn't know about it. Taylor had suggested creating the garden with space heaters, giving the space a warm, intimate feel. While showing it to her, he scrapped his elaborate plans that involved the empire state building and dropped down on his knees proposing right there and then. The dinner that followed was an innocent enough affair until dessert. They started feeding each other. Chocolate, Tiramisu and ice cream was the kind of combination that made a mess. Next thing they knew they were licking sticky sweet foods off each other's faces and then other places… well, right there on the roof they made love. It was bound to happen with the throw and all the pillows and silks. Even a monk would be tempted especially with Ana looking as radiant as she did.

That September they got married in his parent's backyard, it was a lavish yet intimate affair for friends and family and a few important officials, a couple of senators, judges, the mayor and a few others.

They honeymooned on a luxury yacht off a private island in the Maldives. It was the laziest month of Christian's life. They spent most of it in bed wearing each other out, swim when the mood took them and just luxuriated on the yacht. They made the occasional trip to the island to the Constance Halaveli where they had a room booked.

"How do you feel about a picnic in the meadow?" Although it's was a suggestion, he would be having a picnic in the meadow, and he knew it.

"This wouldn't be a sneaky attempt to celebrate my birthday?" He asks with a smug smile.

"It's Saturday your birthday is on Tuesday and when have I ever being sneaky about anything?" She asks so sweetly it made her toothache.

"Let me count the…"

"It's just a picnic Christian." Her voice took on that sad timbre that got to him every time.

"Okay, just a picnic." He acquiesced.

It was a hot day, he found himself in shorts and a tank top while she had on one of his tank tops and lacy boy shorts. He runs his fingers up and down her flat stomach feeding her grapes while he popped the occasional one into his mouth. On days like this, leaning back against the huge oak tree that dominated their backyard, he thanked whatever higher being blessed him with Ana. He bent over grabbing another cold bottle of beer from the cooler. "Beer." He offered.

"I'm good." She briefly looked up from her book.

"What is the book about?" he asks draining half the bottle.

"Vampires." She answered earning an eye roll from him.

"It's very different from the usual vampiric myths. For starters, they don't need blood from humans. They feed from their own kind and the sex is downright animalistic."

"I'm sorry, what." He asks with a smirk.

"Yeah, there is a lot of sex." She breathes.

"Are you turned on Mrs. Grey?" He teases as his fingers inch towards her shorts.

"Don't get any ideas." She places his hands above her belly button. He already had ideas; he stood up placing one of the throw pillows beneath her head. He pulled his tank top off and stretched still eyeing her up. After ten minutes of pretending to do some yoga stretches, he settled down on top of her making sure to keep his erection away from her for the time being.

"It was your idea to have this picnic, and now you'd rather read a book." He aimed for an undercurrent of hurt in his tone and succeeded.

"Sorry Christian, you are right." She put her book aside her fingers running through his hair. "You need a haircut." He shook his head dropping his hair on his forehead past his eyes.

"You are right I need a haircut." He leaned in kissing her clavicle softly and quickly. "I love you." He said softly placing another on her sternum.

"I love you too." She said running her fingers through his hair. He leaned up his erection brushing against her.

"Please tell me my family isn't planning any surprises for me this week. I don't loathe my birthday as much as I did, but I'm not keen on having it thrown in my face either." He didn't particularly care about any surprises being planned he just needed to keep her mind of his surreptitious attempts to get his cock where he wanted it. He asked her about the book because he could see her squirming, crossing and uncrossing her legs. She was turned on and fuck if it was going to waste.

"No, but I booked us a table at Canlis for a quiet dinner… Christian, you make such a fuss about my birthday. Can I do just that?"

"Just dinner for two?" He asked rubbing against her with every move.

"Yes, just dinner for two. I don't want to spoil the mood, but are you going to tell me about the letter you received." _Fuck no, I don't want to lose my erection and I inevitably will if we talk about Elena fucking Lincoln._

"Yes, after dinner tonight… I will tell you all about… it." He said with a groan as he slipped smoothly into her. _Fuck, she is wet._

She let out a small moan welcoming the intrusion. "How the fuck did you do that?" She asked surprised she hadn't felt her delicate shorts go. His answer was an arrogant chuckle as he pulled her shirt off and ripped the rest of her lace shorts off. He leaned up completely sheathed within her and devoured her lips, or rather she devoured his. Her tongue massaging his, he kissed his way to her breast, he nipped, licked sucked on her nipples. He went at a slow pace, and as much as she tried urging him on, he kept up the slow torturous pace much to her annoyance. After a minute he could no longer take it himself pulling out and slamming back in.

Christian sat up throwing her legs over his shoulders as he leaned forward driving in and out forcefully. "Oh shit." Ana moaned feeling her orgasm building in the depths of her pussy only to have Christian slow down. "Noo, no, no." She pushed up against him only to be held firmly in place. He picked up the pace enough to get her going again. Nothing beat the sight of his wife in the throes of passion. The way her back arched, her little ramblings, the way her fingers always found its way into his hair. He loved seeing that as much as seeing her orgasm, and she was close again. He gripped her waist speeding up his thrust, pulling almost all the way out and driving backing over and over again. "Oh yes…yes." She hissed quaking under him. A few more thrust and he followed grunting his release.

"Hey, can I crash your training with Bastille?" Christian asked avoiding her stare. The trainer Ray hired to continue training Ana turned out to be Claude Bastille.

"Hell no."

"Come on, please… Olivia messed up my scheduling." He tried.

"Sorry, the last time I said yes, you monopolized him and I was relegated to the treadmill. Why do you keep Olivia around?"

"Andrea has far too much to do, having Olivia is better than her not having an assistant at all. I will not monopolize Claude… and I will teach you how to play pool." He added as an incentive.

"I know how to play pool." She countered.

"Bullshit, you are always eyeing the table and have never once picked up a cue stick." He challenged. "Okay, then a game right now."

"Nice try… the letter." He sat down with a sigh.

"Taylor received a letter addressed to him at the Escala address. It was Elena Lincoln." Ana's jaw drops, she hadn't heard the name since she was sentenced.

"What does she want?"

"She is pleading for help. Apparently, in just under two years she has been attacked on numerous occasions, and doesn't believe she will survive if I do not intervene."

"You mean... get her out." Ana sneers.

"She is delusional enough… now, that game of pool." He rubbed his hands together. With a smug smile, Ana followed him down to the games room. "Okay, pool, carom billiards or English snooker?" He asked looking smug as fuck.

"First, the fact that you called it English snooker shows just how much you don't know. It's snooker… just snooker. Second, we don't have the table nor do we have the balls to play snooker. Third, we don't have the table for carom billiards. You need one without pockets."

She racks up the balls with speed and ease of someone who knows what she's doing. She chalks up her stick does some ninja shit with it for added effect and then breaks with a force he didn't see coming. She pots a solid and saunters around the table and quickly pots another, but leaves herself with a lot of work to do. _I know better than to look smug, I have greatly_ _underestimated her._

She lines up her next shot but misses, and evidently, she expected it and had, therefore, left the cue ball squarely tucked behind a solid. "That is just cold." He shakes his head in disbelieve.

There was no way he can make a shot without fouling. "You are mean." He groaned in defeat and made the best of it. He takes his shot and as expected hits her ball, worse he hits it too hard and pockets the cue ball. "I believe you miss a turn."

"I know the rules, Ana." He grumbled.

"Really." She mumbles looking smug as fuck. _Boy, I really underestimated her knowledge of the game._ Missing his turn would not have made any difference as she pots the next five solids in quick succession and just to rub salt into his wounds she picks the pocket behind the cue ball as the pocket for the black ball. Just as he thinks hubris might be her undoing, the cue balls hit the black with a tremendous force bounces off the cushions and as smoothly as can be, drops right into the pocket.

Christian Grey didn't lose especially at something he considered himself to be very good at. Ana could see her husband was trying hard to be gracious but was failing miserably. "Aside from fishing snooker was one of Ray's favorite games, every year I was subjected to watching the World Snooker Championships. When you've played snooker from the age of twelve, pool is a walk in the park." She explained hoping he would realize he never stood a chance.

"I never stood a chance. Hell, I only started paying in Harvard, and even then it was because geometry could be applied to the game." He dropped the stick unceremoniously on the table still smarting from his defeat. "So how come you were always eyeing the table as though you wished you could play."

"I just wondered what sex on a pool table was like. I've seen it enough times in movies." His loss was quickly forgotten.

* * *

"You are married to the man, I am his employee and can get fired for it." José moaned as he empties his pockets before going through the metal detector.

"He is not going to find out unless someone tells him." Ana turns her gaze on Sawyer.

"Luke and I aren't the issue, you talk in your sleep or have you forgotten how man candy learned about Operation Get Rid of the Bitch." José reminded her.

"You may have a point there." Ana conceded.

"Excellent, we can turn back around and get the hell out of here." Unfortunately for José, it was too late.

In the two years since her incarceration, Elena had never had a visitor. She found herself hoping it was Christian. That thought was quickly squashed when she walked into the visitor's room.

"God damn, bitch you got ugly," José said loud enough for the room to hear. Ana had to admit the sight was not expected. She had indeed taken some thrashing and from the sight of her one occurred relatively recently.

"You finally look the same inside as you do on the outside. The rotten core of yours is finally showing on the outside. I am going to sleep so much better from the sight of you. Shame I can't take a picture." Ana said with a chuckle. "I've seen what I came to see we can leave now," Ana added.

"Please, I need your help, if I don't get out, I will die in here. Trying to kill you was a stupid move, but please tell Christian to please get me out. I'm going to die in here."

"I can believe that," José mumbled.

"Why will I help you?" Ana asked.

"I helped Christian get…"

"Wrong answer. Bye bye."

"You have to help me," Elena shouted after them. "YOU PUT ME IN HERE, GET ME OUT." She continued to shout despite being dragged away by the guards.

"You should have seen her face, and that hair needed conditioner. She looked like something the swamp thing would run away from." Gail chuckled at José description of Elena.

"Who looked like something the swamp thing would run away from?" Christian asked walking into the kitchen.

"Man candy, I didn't want to go I was coerced into going." Ana slapped her hand against her forehead in disbelieve. "I protested vehemently, but you know what your wife is like when she sinks her teeth into something," José added.

"You still haven't told me who you talking about."

"The bitch," José whispered. "She looks fucked up." He couldn't help but add.

"You went to the prison to see Elena. What the fuck for?" Christian barked. "Ana, can I talk to you in my office." He walked away before she could respond.

He was pacing his office when she walked in. "For fuck sake baby, you are pregnant, that is not the kind of risk you should be taking." He said his hands softly on her flat stomach. It took him half an hour to come down from his high when Ana told him she was pregnant. Right now, they were keeping the news to themselves.

"Christian I wasn't at risk. I was with José and Sawyer." She placated running her fingers through his hair. "I was going to tell you after I had softened you up a bit." She purred.

"José really needs to keep his mouth shut." He growled much to Ana's amusement.

"It's fine the plans to soften you up is still in play." She teased.

"Let's get out there before José has a heart attack." Christian joked.

"Oh please, death is afraid of that one." Ana scoffed.

Okay, no one is looking tense or stressed. No veins are popping out. We can eat now I am starving." José cheered.

"Don't you have a home to go to?" Ana grumbles.

"Franco is away at some hair and beauty thing in Vegas. I went last year under the assumption it was going to be fun. Yeah, not my scene and I am not subjecting myself to it again." He lamented.

Just before Taylor and Gail walked out the door, he turned and watched the couple with a very animated José enjoying their dinner. He agreed with Carrick, they didn't need to know Elena Lincoln had taken her life. After Ana's visit, Elena saw just how hopeless her situation was and ended it. Good fucking riddance.

 **AN: Thank you for reading. C.J.**


End file.
